Every time I visit Gaza, it’s worse than the time before.
The tragedy and hardship that I have witnessed in a single day is difficult to stomach, and it gets worse by the hour. For over 600 days, children have endured utter hell. |
So much of what’s happening to people in Gaza has been normalized. Thousands of children, thousands of girls and boys killed — normalized. Denial of lifesaving aid to women, to kids, to families — normalized. The starvation of a population — normalized.
Many have fled to so-called safe spaces only to find they still were not safe. Nearly 90 percent of the entire population of Gaza has been displaced. And it’s children who are bearing the brunt of this crisis.
In other parts of the world, unrelenting crises are also forcing people from their homes. From the worsening conflict that I’ve seen first hand in Gaza to an earthquake in Myanmar to the continuing war in Ukraine, children are caught in the middle. But no matter why or how a child leaves home, every single one has a right to protection, care and the support they need to thrive.
Humanitarian aid encompasses so much. It's safe water, it's medicines, it's painkillers, it's hygiene kits, it's vaccines and mental health support and so much more. For children who have been displaced and who are living through extreme horror, UNICEF is doing whatever it takes to meet them with the supplies and support they need and deserve.
In the face of all of this tragedy, the people of Gaza have normalized a strength, a resolve and incredible courage in the face of these atrocities. That spirit is beyond admirable. Please, consider a gift — matched 5X today — to help these children in Gaza and elsewhere.
Thank you for your attention, |
James Elder
UNICEF Spokesperson |
