“SUFFERING HAS NOT STOPPED FOR CHILDREN IN GAZA” - SAVE THE CHILDREN CEO

GAZA, 5 February 2025 - Children in Gaza are in desperate need of medical attention, nutrition, shelter and access to education with the pause in hostilities only revealing the true scale of devastation, said Save the Children CEO Inger Ashing during a visit to Gaza. 

Visiting Gaza three weeks after the pause in hostilities, Ashing met young children being supported by the aid agency including a one-year-old girl who almost died from malnutrition but is now recovering at a Save the Children health clinic. 

Thousands of children in Gaza are facing malnutrition and disease after 15 months of war, with the amount of aid available nowhere near enough to meet the enormous needs.  

More than 17,818 children – or over 1.7% of Gaza’s children – have been killed since October 2023, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza, although the actual number is undoubtedly even higher. Many have suffered life-changing injuries, such as amputated limbs and lasting mental harm, and thousands have lost loved ones. 

Ashing visited one of Save the Children’s two primary health care centres in Gaza, which is providing life-saving services such as vaccinations and medical treatment for malnourished children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. She also attended a mother-child bonding session at a child-friendly space, a safe environment created by the organisation where children and caregivers can play, learn and receive support. 

Save the Children is delivering lifesaving aid in Gaza, such as food, water, and essential hygiene supplies to families. The organisation also manages cases of at-risk children, providing protection and connecting them with the support they need to stay safe. Save the Children also gives cash to families to help them meet their needs, and creates child-friendly spaces and learning centres to help children recover and continue their education. 

Marwah*, a mother whose daughter is being supported by Save the Children, said: 

“This war took everything away from me and my family, but this place [the child friendly space] gave me hope.”  

Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, said: 

“Children’s lives hang in the balance. The bombs and bullets may have paused, but the nightmare for children in Gaza is far from over. Without urgent assistance, children will continue to die. It is heartbreaking to witness suffering on a mass scale and with so many children impacted. Children are visibly malnourished, many with disabilities and injuries that will last a lifetime. I met a one-year-old infant who almost died from malnutrition but was thankfully able to get treatment at our clinic. 

“Thousands of children are desperately seeking food, shelter and medical attention. We have a small window of opportunity. The clock is ticking to stop the long-term effects of malnutrition and trauma. We must act now to prevent more children from dying after more than a year without adequate access to the aid and services they need. It is essential that we scale up our response and ensure that children in Gaza are able to access the essentials they need. 

“The only way to stop this suffering is for a lasting and definitive ceasefire. The international community must also hold accountable those responsible for the harm inflicted on children and the lives taken. We must address the root causes of repeated violence and address the decades-long child rights crisis across the occupied Palestinian territory.” 

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children since 1953 and have had a permanent presence in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1973.  

Save the Children has two primary health care centres in Gaza, where we provide vaccinations and urgent medical treatment for malnourished children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Since the pause in hostilities, our trucks carrying temporary shelter kits, bedding and hygiene products have already entered Gaza, with dozens more waiting at the border. As many people likely return to the north, our teams are working with partners in northern Gaza to deliver lifesaving aid while preparing to establish new primary health care centres, child-friendly spaces and temporary learning spaces where they are needed. We’re also exploring mobile options to assist children and families on the move. 

ENDS