Desperate location: Children in the Gaza Strip suffer from strong hunger

The war rages in the Gaza Strip - and the real victims are the smallest and most innocent among us! Shocking numbers show that at least 3,100 children under the age of five have lost their lives in the bloody conflict, including tragic 700 babies that could not even be a whole year. The suffering of these children is incredible and their survival depends on a thread: malnourished, sick and without access to necessary medical care!

The aid organization Save the Children raises the alarm! Doctors and helpers examined almost 3,000 children and found shocking results: 20 percent suffer from moderate and almost four percent of serious acute malnutrition! The reports are devastating - children fight for survival, dig through garbage and debris to find something edible. Above all, the smallest as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are in high danger due to malnutrition! A very malnourished child has an eleven times higher risk of dying from diseases such as pneumonia. Alarming? Absolutely! Almost half of all children's extinction worldwide go back to malnutrition!

The location is devastating!

The shocking words of Jeremy Stoner, the regional director of Save the Children, could not be clearer: "The massive war damage has destroyed the livelihood of people in the Gaza Strip." The consequences are devastating - children lose their hope, fight with hunger and the traumas of war every day. The right to a safe life and education is kicked with feet. Immediately and permanent peace is required here!

A mother, Somayya*, describes the unimaginable suffering of her family. In 2023 she had to flee from the northern Gaza strip and now lives in an emergency accommodation in Deir al-Balah. Her little son Ali* suffers from osteomalacia - his bones become soft, he can neither run nor crawl! 'His siblings could already run at his age. Ali is one and a half years old and can't do anything, 'reports the desperate 37-year-old.

The health situation is catastrophic: only 17 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are still functional! The WHO estimates that around 25 percent of the injuries in the Gaza Strip - that is over 22,500 people - need an urgent rehabilitation. Wounds, amputations, head and spinal cord injuries- all of these are devastating consequences of this cruel war.

tireless use of Save the Children

Save the Children has been tirelessly active since 1953 to help the suffering children in Palestine. The organization does everything possible to support families in the Gaza Strip - from food supply to the provision of clean water, hygiene articles and psychosocial support for the children. Your mission? Help the innocent who suffer from these cruel circumstances!

The story of Save the Children began over a century ago with the rescue of children in Germany and Austria from hunger. Today it is the largest independent child rights organization in the world, which is strong in around 120 countries for the rights of children in wars and crises.

* Name for protection changed