“Before we go to sleep, we say goodbye to each other”
“Picture a child in Gaza right now. Instead of bedtime stories, they hear explosions; instead of dreams, they have nightmares. These kids are living through a terrifying reality that no one should experience,” asserts Khitam Abuhamad, Head of our Gaza Office.
Since the start of the war in October 2023, children have been disproportionately affected. In Gaza, half the population is under 18. More than 40,000 people have already been killed, too many of them children. 90% of children under the age of two and pregnant or breast-feeding women in Gaza face "severe food poverty", meaning they eat less than two meals a day.
“Almost all of us left our homes, the majority of us are staying with relatives,” says Khitam. “I fled with two of my sisters to the South of Gaza. We lost connections with other family members and friends. It’s hard to reach people by phone – at the same time you need courage to try and call, fearing to hear sad news. We are 20 people sleeping in each room, with no electricity, and water is hard to find. The night is especially scary. We try to sleep knowing that this might be our last night. Before we go to sleep we say goodbye to each other. Waking up every morning is like a miracle. “
After 16 years of continuous blockade, recurrent wars, and escalations, more than half of the children already faced difficulties in dealing with their emotions and managing daily activities. This recent trauma is likely to have a lasting impact on their mental health. “The scenes on the streets are horrific. Children are extremely horrified, they cry all the time. Their faces tell the story of our struggle and suffering. They are already beyond traumatised. They are asking when the war will stop and when they can go back to school.”
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Read more: Palestinian children: their fight to exist
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