The children of Gaza face indescribable hell, in the light of the war of extermination launched by the Israeli occupation of the strip since October 7, 2023.
Until December 2024, it was thought that more than half a million children in Gaza needed support in the fields of mental health and psychological and social support. Now, the cumulative effects of constant violence, forced displacement and the loss of two complete academic years will affect the rest of their lives, according to the International Rescue Committee.
Currently, there are no refuges in Gaza for civilians, and children have the negative impact of this issue. As a continuous exposure to severe tension, including violence and displacement, during the years of childhood formation of the child disrupts the health of the brain and organs, which leads to long -term health challenges.
Attaf, 53, and his family 10 times in the past year. “When we left our house, I thought the war would only last 3 weeks. My daughters were only filled with summer clothing bag.”
Attaf describes the current situation by saying: “We hear a terrifying explosion every 3 minutes, day and night. This has a major impact on the human psyche.”
The care and specialists report that children with a shock are looking for comfort by clinging to others when they hear high sounds, suffering from nightmares and involuntary urination, and want to sleep under the bed to feel safe.
Ataf, her son, 26, was lost, and she does not know if he is still alive. In fact, it is estimated that 17,000 children found themselves without facilities or separated from their family in Gaza. Children who are not accompanied by their families and those who are separated from them risk a high risk of negligence, hunger and mental health effects.
Education in Gaza has been disrupted
Gaza’s children have lost two years of education due to the destruction of school buildings and the collapse of the education system.
According to reports, the impact of war and psychological trauma can delay the education of Gaza children up to 5 years. As more than a year without education does not only bother their growth, but it also deprives them of safe spaces that schools had previously provided.
Living conditions and miserable life attacks in densely populated areas, poor access to food and frequent trips lead to serious health problems for Palestinian children and newborns and their mothers.
“We treat infants with infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and skin diseases. Of course, we have witnessed this before the war, but today we are seeing much more, and the figures are increasing constantly. We are witnessing overcrowding in the department, including children with acute pneumonia.
Doctors without borders face a large number of patients. Between June and October 2024, MSF employed 3,421 infants and a child under the age of five in the internal children’s wing of the Nasser hospital, and a quarter of them (22%) had diarrhea and 8.9% with meningitis.
During the same period, 168 newborns were received without a month, and more than 10 thousand and 800 children, between the year and 5 years, received medical consultations in the emergency room of the Nasser hospital for the treatment of higher respiratory infections. In addition, approximately 1,294 children aged one year and 5 have entered Nasser hospital for the treatment of lower respiratory infections, including approximately 459 cases of pneumonia.
A year of war has destroyed the health system and the opportunities to obtain care.
Mothers
Gaza mothers risk the risk of their children and children for hospitals and other remaining health centers. Where they are forced to travel over long distances in dangerous roads on foot or on animal trucks, in dusty and densely populated areas, to reach medical facilities. This trip endangers children and newborns at the risk of attacking them and exposing them to a great risk of health complications. Even after receiving treatment, newborns and children return to unhealthy living conditions, which in turn leads to a deterioration in their health and their ability to recover properly.
Faced with inappropriate living conditions, a lack of hygiene and food products, and under constant pressure, a large number of mothers – who suffer from malnutrition – give birth to children and have increased the risk of postpartum complications. This crisis is exacerbated by the acute shortage of medical and non -medical supplies in health establishments and hospitals.
Families live in overcrowded tents or under plastic blankets and mixed fabrics, without clean water, sewer services, cleaning products, including soap and other basic needs.
“I have no layers to my son. Even clothes suitable for him are not enough, I have to use a plastic bag, and this exposes his skin to more infections and a rash. Living in a tent that exposes my children to difficult conditions, they sleep even without appropriate bed.”
Dr. Abu Tim says that war has greatly affected everyone, especially children in the growth stage, due to the lack of nutritive food and essential nutrients, which affected the health of newborns and children and on the construction of their immunity, which made them more vulnerable to infectious diseases.
Inappropriate living conditions
“My son is constantly coughing,” she added. I spend most of my time in the hospital. My son does not laugh, does not play and does not drink milk. He sleeps all the time. The doctor says he should be removed from the fire (to avoid cough), but how to do that? Everything is cooked on fire.
Gaza conditions cause serious health problems for children and infants. From June to October, MSF witnessed a large number of young patients with diseases such as acute diarrhea, meningitis and respiratory infections.
In light of inappropriate living conditions and a lack of hygiene and food products, many pregnant women live in a state of constant tension, which leads to the birth of a large number of them – and many of them suffer from malnutrition – the cheeks of children and face a growing risk of postpartum complications.
This crisis is exacerbated by the acute shortage of medical and non -medical supplies to treat these types of complications in health establishments and hospitals. The Israeli headquarters on Gaza has left hospitals and healthcare establishments in the sector without appropriate supplies and drugs such as paracetamol and antibiotics.
According to a statement published by Edward Besbider, regional director of UNICEF in the Middle East and North Africa last March, speaking of Gaza children, “he killed and injured tens of thousands of children”.