The devastating conflict in Gaza and Israel continues to escalate. So far, it has led to the deaths of over 14,000 people, including over 5,000 children, and the displacement of 1.5 million people in Gaza alone [OCHA, ‘Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel, Flash Update #41’].
At SOS Children’s Villages, we continue to call for a durable ceasefire and an end to the violence against innocent children and young people.
Impact of the conflict on children and their families
Homes, hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure, including electricity and communication, have been destroyed in Gaza.
Resources, particularly food, are depleting rapidly and sanitary conditions in shelters are poor, causing a high risk of disease. In some areas of Gaza there’s no drinking water, forcing people to leave.
While in Israel, families are desperate for the return of the hostages still being held, including children and young people.
The most vulnerable are those children who are alone and are without parental care. Who are unlikely to have protection, emotional support, or help accessing necessities for basic survival.
“A child aged two and a half runs to her siblings and hugs them when she hears the sound of bombs. She screams and closes the windows. Children have the innocent thought the bombings will not reach us if the windows are closed.”
How SOS Children’s Villages is helping
Working together, SOS Children’s Villages Israel and SOS Children’s Villages Palestine are providing emergency aid, while protecting children already in their care. So far, SOS Children’s Villages has disbursed this aid to more than 220 families and over 1,000 individuals in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. This includes:
- Emergency Care: We’re offering care services for unaccompanied or separated children, ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
- Humanitarian Support: Direct assistance is being given to affected families and children, addressing immediate needs and concerns.
- Mental Health Support: Recognising the deep psychological impact of conflict, we’re providing mental health support to children and families.
- Education: We’re facilitating temporary classes and remote schooling for children whose education has been disrupted by war.
- Financial Support: Financial assistance is being extended to the most vulnerable families, helping them build self-reliance and meet their immediate needs.
And we won’t stop there! We plan to continue scaling up our support to provide aid and psychosocial support to thousands more people, and in even more ways, for as long as they need us.
“The most urgent need right now is finding a safe place. After ensuring safety, we work on providing essential needs, which are difficult for everyone to get. We try to provide main necessities such as water, food, medicines, and first-aid materials.”
We continue to fight for the rights of children
SOS Children’s Villages joins many other organisations and individuals in appealing to the humanity of all parties in Israel and the Gaza Strip, as well as the international community, to urgently agree on an immediate and durable ceasefire. It must allow humanitarian aid to reach those who are in desperate need.
We call for the immediate end of grave violations being committed against children.
We denounce the killing and maiming of children, the abduction of children, and attacks on schools and hospitals.
We demand, with urgency, that all kidnapped hostages are safely released back to their families.
President of SOS Children’s Villages International, Dr. Dereje Wordofa said, “The destruction in Gaza exposes the failings of world governments in safeguarding children and ensuring their rights. “Children have a fundamental right to be protected from violence, abduction, and the trauma of war.”
SOS Children’s Villages stands for the rights of children and young people, especially those who have lost parental care or risk losing it. SOS Children’s Villages supports children, young people and families on all sides of this conflict.
Protecting those in our care
At present those in our Village communities are as safe as they can be, but the situation remains critical. Read updates about the current situation from our colleagues in the SOS Children’s Village Rafah, Gaza.
Their identities will not be revealed, to protect their safety.
"We’re grateful that we’re able to care for these innocent children, who are not guilty of what is happening. Knowing that a majority of the victims of this war are children. We, as caregivers, are very afraid something will happen. We hope nothing happens."
Read more on the conflict in Gaza and Israel
Read stories on the impact of war from our caregivers in Gaza
Read more on the conflict Mourning the deaths of young people
