Since 1953, we’ve been working for children’s rights in Gaza and the West Bank.
What we are witnessing there is not only an unprecedented humanitarian crisis but is also consistent with the UN Commission of Inquiry’s conclusion of genocide.
As this living nightmare continues, our teams and their families are facing unimaginable challenges—working tirelessly amid constant danger to deliver life-saving aid to children and families in desperate need.
Famine has also been officially confirmed in Gaza. Over 100 children have died from starvation, and the blockade continues to prevent life-saving aid from entering.
The Impact On Children
Children are always the most vulnerable in every conflict.
They are terrified, have been forced from their homes, and are cut off from an education.
In over 16 months of conflict, more than 20,000 children have been killed. Many more have died from hunger and disease.
In 2024, Gaza became the deadliest place on earth to be a child. Life expectancy plummeted from 75.5 years in 2023 to just 40.6 years. Behind these appalling statistics are the stories of individual children—buried under rubble, cut off from their families, alone and afraid. Survivors face constant hunger, horrific violence, and the trauma of losing loved ones.
Almost 1 million children live in Gaza. Many have already lived through multiple conflicts.
The blocking of aid and goods by Israeli authorities has had catastrophic consequences. Every day that aid is prevented from entering is another day that children go without food and clean water.
Gaza is no longer on the brink of famine—it is in famine. Children are dying from starvation, and many are so malnourished they can no longer cry. Families are forced to eat animal feed, leaves, or search through rubbish to survive. Massacres at food distribution sites are occurring almost daily.
2.45 million people need assistance, 1.2 million of them are children. What we are witnessing is consistent with UN findings that a genocide is being committed in Gaza.
Our work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Save the Children staff who visited northern Gaza on a scoping and security mission shared photos of the destruction.
Save the Children has been working in Gaza and the West Bank since 1953. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to:
- provide thousands of families in Gaza with cash, so they can buy food and any other essentials
- run child friendly spaces to ensure children have a safe space to play, receive psychosocial support and escape from the traumatic experiences they’re enduring
- provide primary healthcare and maternal and newborn care and we’re screening and treating children for acute malnutrition through our health programming
Rami's story
Jamal* (35) with his children Rami* (7) Sana* (10) & Samira* (12) all suffered from blast injuries in Gaza
In 2024, seven-year-old Rami* and his family were sheltering in their home in Nuseirat, central Gaza, when a bomb struck. The explosion killed five members of their extended family and left Rami and his immediate family with devastating injuries.
The hospital conditions in Gaza were dire. Rami's father, Jamal* received 40–50 stitches to his face and head without anaesthetic. He described scenes of chaos, with people lining up for surgery as if queuing for bread.
After 19 days in hospital, the family managed to escape to Egypt, thanks to Jamal and his mother’s Moroccan citizenship. But not everyone made it out—Jamal’s father and sisters remain in Gaza, facing escalating violence.
Now in Cairo, the family is receiving urgent medical care. Save the Children’s health team is supporting them with physiotherapy, hearing aids, and specialist treatment for Rami’s leg. While their physical wounds are beginning to heal, the emotional scars of war remain deep.
It's crucial to take action today. Please donate now and help children like Rami*.
Standing Up For Children's Rights
Children’s safety is in danger every day. Consistent breaches of their most basic rights lead to hundreds of children being detained or having their homes destroyed.
We stand up for children’s rights and work to protect children from violence and abuse. In the West Bank, we’ve helped over 900 children rehabilitate after being arrested or detained. Together with partners we also support families who homes have been demolished.
Read our reports ‘Defenceless’ and 'Hope Under The Rubble' to learn more about the impact of Israeli military actions on Palestinian children.
Page last updated July 2025.
