Over 2% of Gaza’s child population killed or injured in six months of war

Date: 8th April 2024
Category: Violence against children, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

people walking and holding hands

Save the Children reports that nearly 26,000 children in Gaza, representing over two percent of the child population, have been killed or injured in the past six months of conflict, severely straining the already fragile health system and disrupting education.

A two-week siege and attack on Gaza's biggest medical facility, Al-Shifa Hospital, has left most of the complex in ruins, severing one of precious few remaining lifelines for children in need of medical treatment. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, after the withdrawal of Israeli forces dozens of bodies have been found inside and outside the hospital. Hospitals should never be used as battlegrounds.

Education has also been severely impacted, with nearly 90% of school buildings damaged or destroyed, leaving 625,000 registered students without formal education since October. Tragically, 261 teachers have been killed, and 1.4 million people are now seeking shelter in schools.

The destruction of schools, a grave violation against children in conflict, will have a lasting impact on a generation whose learning will remain in jeopardy even after hostilities cease.