The tragedy does not stop at killing and injuring them in ongoing Israeli raids or from displacement and homelessness with their families. They find themselves forced to bear the burdens of adults and take on the responsibility of providing food and water for their families. Nidal, a 14-year-old child, found himself in an exhausting daily routine. The responsibilities weighing on him cannot be stopped, as his family lost their home and provider, and he lost his right to education and protection.
Nidal told Sputnik: “My dreams were beautiful before the war. I used to get high grades in school and dream of studying medicine. But now, every day, I go to get food, bring water from a distant place, gather wood, and do many other tasks, while also searching for a job to earn some money.” He continues, “Before the war, everything was available, and I lived a beautiful life. Because of the war, I have to find food or canned goods so my family doesn’t feel hungry.”
After schools turned into shelters and playgrounds became tents, many children turned to work on the streets, offering their simple goods in hopes of getting some money to meet their families’ needs. However, the toughest task children face is risking their lives to go to aid centers, as UNRWA aid stopped at about 400 distribution points.
Nidal says, “When I go to the aid centers, I know I might pay with my life for this venture. Either I return with a bag of flour or end up inside the bag myself. I witnessed a young man beside me get injured, my friend injured his hand, and our neighbor was injured in his leg. Thank God I survived and returned with a bag of flour, and I saw my younger siblings happy for my return.”
He adds, “We are like children around the world, we want our basic rights to education, food, shelter, and safety. Therefore, we demand a stop to the war and urge the world to help us.” UNICEF warned that children live in extreme fear and anxiety, suffering the consequences of being deprived of humanitarian aid and protection.
Children under 18 make up 43% of the total population of Palestine, which reached about 5.5 million by the end of 2024, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Abdullah Shaheen, a child rights researcher, told Sputnik: “Children in the Gaza Strip have been deprived of their right to life due to the war and have been deprived of their right to education. For two years, they haven’t felt safe, and most of them bear the burdens of their families, responsible for providing food and water. They have to wait at soup kitchens and walk long distances, enduring hard work under the pressure of hunger and ongoing war.”
He adds, “About 45% of children in the Gaza Strip work during the war to provide some food and drink for their families. A large percentage of children have suffered serious injuries, some losing limbs and needing treatment outside the strip, which becomes increasingly difficult as the war continues.” Children pay the highest price for this ongoing war, which has resulted in more than 18,000 deaths according to official data, with tens of thousands injured, including cases of limb amputation.
The remaining children live in extremely harsh conditions due to repeated displacement and the loss of family members, including the main breadwinner, forcing them to take on significant responsibilities, primarily providing for their livelihood. The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that 7 people, including two children, died in the last 24 hours due to malnutrition, raising the total number of victims of starvation and malnutrition to 263, including 112 children.
