Source: Save The Children
What’s forcing people to flee?
Bombardment:
Since the escalation on October 7th, families have been attacked in their own homes and over 60% of homes have been destroyed completely by continued bombardment. Whole communities have been wiped off the map. Hundreds and thousands of Palestinians had to flee their homes with little more than the clothes on their back.
Relocation orders:
Israeli forces have issued several relocation orders to civilians to force the population south ahead of military operations. As civilians tried to relocate southwards, they faced bombardment, shelling, and sniper fire along the ‘one way’ prescribed routes. Israeli officials have declared a so-called ‘safe zone’ in the town of Al-Mawasi, a tiny slither of land which is 14km long and 1km wide, but this lacks the basics to support human life.
For the children left in the north, they have no basic services, no access to aid and no protection from the deadly fighting and bombardment.
The decimation of infrastructure:
Places that would usually be safe for children have been ripped apart. Homes, schools, playgrounds: decimated. A lack of electricity, fuel, medicine, and water mean that hospitals can no longer admit patients. This has forced people southwards in the hope of safety. But the bombardment continued around Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, forcing families to flee once again further south towards Rafah.
Starvation:
The siege on the Gaza Strip has cut children off from the basic things they need to survive such as food and clean drinking water, services such as electricity and water supply, and goods such as fuel and lifesaving equipment. The trickle of aid which has been entering via the Rafah border has forced hungry families to move south in desperate search of food and water. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people still remain in the north, cut off from aid. Children are at risk of dying of starvation and dehydration.
The weaponisation of aid:
Even before the escalation on October 7th, 80% of people in Gaza relied on international aid like food, water and medical supplies which primarily came through the Kerem Shalom crossing under Israeli authority control. Some aid has entered via the Rafah crossing with Egypt, but even this has severe restrictions and delays. Since 21 October, 1,616 trucks carrying mainly medicines, food and water have entered Gaza, addressing only a fraction of the needs. Prior to the escalation, 500 trucks with aid and commercial supplies per day were crossing over.
Every war is a war on children. We need a ceasefire now.