DaysofPal – Children in Gaza are enduring a devastating wave of amputations, trauma, and hunger as the health system collapses under Israeli bombardment and blockade. Humanitarian groups warn that safe spaces are overwhelmed, medical care is nearly nonexistent, and malnutrition is spiraling out of control.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said Gaza’s children are not only losing their limbs but also their childhoods, with many waking up “screaming from nightmares” after surviving strikes that killed or maimed family members. Prosthetics and rehabilitation services are scarce, trauma treatment is virtually absent, and Israeli restrictions are preventing essential supplies for children from entering the Strip.
The IRC and its partners provide emergency social services, counseling, and play and storytelling activities, as well as tailored sessions for children with disabilities or war injuries. They also support caregivers and connect critical cases to medical and rehabilitation services whenever possible.
But the organization warns that these efforts are a drop in the ocean. “Safe spaces are overcrowded, education is on the verge of collapse, and malnutrition is worsening,” the IRC said.
Severe hunger is now exacerbating the crisis. A recent assessment of 469 displaced families in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and parts of Khan Yunis revealed that one in three children under the age of three had not eaten anything in the 24 hours preceding the survey.
Nearly three-quarters of families with young children reported visible signs of malnutrition, while only 1% of families were found to be food secure. Families are forced to reduce portions or skip meals entirely amid a near-total lack of protein and fresh produce.
“These findings are consistent with the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) data and with previous IRC assessments, which showed high rates of malnutrition among children and pregnant and lactating women,” the committee said.
Despite these dire conditions, IRC Child Protection Manager Faten Tarawa highlighted the resilience she witnesses daily. “We see this strength every day in the eagerness of children to join safe spaces that reconnect them with the childhoods they lost during the crisis.
When children are given safety, encouragement, and the opportunity to connect with others, they begin to heal, even in the most difficult circumstances,” she said.
The IRC stressed that the top priority must be rapid and unhindered humanitarian access so that children can receive the food, medical care, and protection they urgently need. It also underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to protect Palestinians, allow relief operations to continue, and secure the release of detainees.
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