John,
Two years ago, on October 7, a deadly attack on Israel ignited an unprecedented escalation of conflict. Since then, millions of families have endured loss, displacements, bombings, poverty and starvation.
Last year, I visited Gaza, it was hard to put into words what I saw. Children weren’t learning or playing – they were eating animal food and boiled leaves to survive. Instead of sitting in school, their families were burning chairs, desks and books for warmth. Once lively streets were full of piles of rubble – horrifying graves for those never to be found. Families were sheltering under pieces of plastic while disease outbreaks and malnutrition had left children too weak to cry.
Innocent kids are bearing the brunt of this humanitarian catastrophe.
Despite the immense challenges of getting aid into Gaza, our teams continue to deliver critical support — from continuing to run two nutrition clinics, offering nutrition programs that screen and treat children for malnutrition, to providing safe drinking water to tens of thousands each day. Alongside local partners, we are working tirelessly to deliver lifesaving support to children and families in unimaginable conditions.
Right now, 132,000 children under 5 are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. Families have resorted to collecting garbage to sell and searching for food among the rubble.
As Israeli forces carry out a ground offensive in Gaza, we must put children first and ensure their safety. That means taking action now and demanding an end to the war in Gaza, allowing a surge of humanitarian aid and releasing all remaining hostages.
Save the Children is staying the course, and our 200 staff in Gaza are ready to scale our response once we have a permanent peace deal. We’ll be updating you more in the coming weeks about our recent impact for kids in Gaza. In the meantime, please take a moment to read more about our response in the region.
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