Category: New Zealand NGOs

Source: Save The Children

Hani* (28) is a Palestinian from Gaza who is stranded in Cairo and volunteers with Save the Children. Sacha Myers / Save the Children

For a long time, I was hiding in my room. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. The guilt that I was safe in Egypt while my entire family was in Gaza – displaced and desperate for food and water – was unbearable.

I had gone to Egypt for a holiday and to see friends in Cairo. While I was away, the war started, and I became stranded overnight.

Through brief phone conversations with my family over the past 219 days of war, I’ve followed their treacherous journey as they’ve fled from city to city, from house to house, trying to outrun the bombs.

They’re attempting to hide the situation from me, to protect me from the horrors they’re experiencing, but they really cannot hide it anymore. I know most people are living in tents. The living conditions are awful, even in a tent or in a house. I know water is only available one to two times a week at most, that food is scarce in the markets, and healthcare and medications are almost impossible to find.

{cta | The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Children have nowhere safe to go. Your support is urgently needed. | https://donate.savethechildren.org/en/donate/children-crisis-donate-child-emergency-fund| Donate now}

There’s no electricity and there’s cuts all the time. To communicate, they have to go a very long distance to charge their phones and to get network coverage. The internet is also unreliable, and it makes communication hard. It always takes several steps before I manage to reach them.

What’s hit me hardest is the change in my youngest brother, Ahmed*, who is 16. Before the war, he was preparing for school exams and mapping out his career path. He was playing with other kids in the street and gaming with his friends, just like any normal child his age.

I asked for a photo of him, and it took a long time before my family had enough connection to send it. I was shocked when I saw the photo. The war has changed him, and he’s lost a lot of weight. He’s taken on a large amount of responsibility to provide for the family and to support them. It’s too much responsibility for a child who should be in school. This war has added 10 years to the age of every child in Gaza.

I want to go back to my family. I know it’s madness to want to return to a war zone, but as the oldest son, I feel the responsibility to protect my family. And I cannot protect them while I’m in Cairo. But my family refuses. They tell me they take comfort in knowing at least one member of their family will survive. They tell me no one can withstand what’s happening in Gaza.

I’m struggling with my mental health. I’m not afraid to say this. I’m just one of many Palestinians in Egypt who struggle with the enormous guilt of being safe, and the endless fear about what will happen to our loved ones. It’s a special kind of anguish that eats at you and never leaves you.

The past weeks have been some of the hardest times. My family was sheltering in Rafah – along with more than 1 million other Palestinians – when the Israeli forces intensified attacks on the city and issued relocation orders for civilians.

My family fled, along with thousands of other people fleeing to already crowded areas where resources are almost non-existent. I lost contact with them for a number of days, and the panic I felt was unbearable. I eventually heard from them, and I cannot describe the relief I felt.

Hani* (28) is a Palestinian volunteer with Save the Children in Egypt. Sacha Myers / Save the Children

I also get a sense of relief from volunteering with Save the Children. I can’t directly support anyone in Gaza, but I can take an active role in helping people from Gaza who are now in Cairo. I know what they’re going through, so I know what support they need. Helping them makes me feel useful, and it gives me a purpose. Now, each morning, I get up early and go out and meet people and help people. I don’t stay in bed unable to face the day.

We have a saying in Gaza: “we shall rebuild.” I hope this for my country and my people. I hope for everyone to be reunited with their families. I hope I’ll be reunited with my family too.

I can’t wait to be back in Gaza, and for my mum to be calling me on the phone, telling me to come home from work and to have dinner with my family. 

You can support our response in Gaza by donating today to our Children’s Emergency Fund.

Source: Save The Children

Photo:Tom Merilion/Save The Children

BRUSSELS, 24 May 2024 – Large companies operating in the European Union will have to take child rights into consideration when they carry out due diligence processes in their global supply chains or face penalties under a landmark Directive adopted by the EU, Save the Children said.

The new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD/CS3D), adopted today and likely to come into force next month, will allow children who have been negatively affected by a company’s business practices to take them to court, even if they live outside of the EU.

The Directive will apply to EU and non-EU/third country-based companies with over 1,000 employees and with a turnover of more than 450 million euro [1] and companies would be liable for fines for breaching the Directive. It will be legally binding and incorporated into the national laws of all EU Member States over the next two years.

The Directive includes the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) in its Annex, an inclusion which was advocated by Save the Children, and means a company’s environmental and human rights due diligence will need to take in to account children’s rights [2]. For over two years now Save the Children has been calling for the Directive to be as effective as possible in protecting the rights of children.

Vasilka Lalevska, Child Rights and Corporate Sustainability Advisor for Save the Children’s Child Rights and Business Global Hub, said:

“The Directive is highly significant as it marks a shift from sustainability rules being voluntary to mandatory.  Large companies will have a legal obligation to carry out human rights and environmental due diligence and take effective action, and those who fail to do so will face penalties.

“The Directive could have a substantial impact on the lives of children, in a year marking the centenary of the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child [3], when children’s rights were first recognised.

“With millions of children around the world facing extreme weather events, poverty and conflict, which threaten their safety, wellbeing and futures, it has never been more critical that companies play a role in upholding children’s rights. The adoption of the Directive is also timely, with the European elections taking place next month it’s also important that children’s rights remain a focus of the EU’s political agenda.”

Save the Children said it would continue to follow and participate in all relevant steps related to the implementation of the Directive. Save the Children will also continue to support companies to assess and strengthen their due diligence practices from a child rights perspective including to advance their strategies towards more sustainable investments in communities they source from.

ENDS

Notes to editor

[1] With both employee and turnover thresholds applying to EU companies; and turnover threshold only applying to non-EU companies. The Directive also applies to parent companies of groups fulfilling the thresholds as well as companies entering franchising/licensing agreements in return for royalties of over 22,5 million EUR with a turnover of more than 80 million EUR.

[2] More details regarding this and other Save the Children´s positions on the CSDDD are available here

[3] The founder of Save the Children, Eglantyne Jebb, wrote the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child, a critical document outlining the unique rights of children. The Geneva Declaration was endorsed by the League of Nations in 1924 and this year marks its 100^th anniversary of affirming the universality of children’s rights.

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For further enquiries please contact:

We can offer Vasilka Lalevska, Save the Children’s Child Rights and Corporate Sustainability Advisor, based in Stockholm.

Source: Save The Children

Source: Save The Children

Rami* (7) and his father Jamal* (35) both suffered blast injuries in Gaza. [Save the Children/Sacha Myers]

CAIRO, 23 May 2024 – Palestinian children who fled to Egypt from the war in Gaza are haunted by the horrors they experienced and are struggling with nightmares, anger, bedwetting and anxiety, with Save the Children calling for an urgent increase in mental health and psychosocial support. 

Since the war started in Gaza on 7 October more than 60,000 Palestinians, including over 5,500 medical evacuees, have crossed the border into Egypt seeking refuge and healthcare. 

In the past three months, Save the Children has received more than 500 requests from Palestinians in Egypt for mental health and psychosocial support. Almost 90% of these requests were for children, with parents concerned that their children are still triggered by loud noises, cannot sleep or even go to the toilet alone or are withdrawn and not showing any signs of emotion.  

Prolonged exposure to war and uncertainty can cause a state of ‘toxic shock’ but children in conflict show remarkable resilience and can recover with appropriate assistance such as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), child friendly spaces where they can play,  and education programmes.   

Waleed*, 66,  from Gaza,  now lives with his wife and five of their children in Cairo. His children have lost cousins and other loved ones in the war and their mother says they were always asking who was going to be the first one of them to die.  

 Waleed said although he’s tried to help his children, they still need more support to recover:  

“[The war has] impacted my children’s mental health. While they were fleeing and being displaced, it was so dangerous, and there were many threats to their lives and a lot of bombs, which made our children anxious and afraid. When they came to Egypt, they were in a very bad state and needed psychological support and I tried to help them out. But it’s really hard.  

“Here in Egypt the children in the street play with fireworks, and when my children hear the fireworks, it makes them feel afraid and freak out when they hear the sounds. It triggers them. There are sounds of planes around here and when they hear the plane, they freeze.” 

Heba*, 28, lives in an apartment in Cairo with her husband and three children Rami* (7), Sana* (10) and Samira* (12), who were all severely injured in an airstrike in Gaza. 

Heba* says her son Rami, who suffered injuries to his head as well as his leg, is now scared of everything: 

“Rami was actually known for always being really brave and he always used to comfort the family. But ever since he got injured, he’s turned into a child who fears any noise, the darkness, he can’t go to the bathroom alone and he can’t be alone. 

“Ever since the war, the girls have had higher heart rates and are scared and think death is just around the corner. Even when we were driving from the border to Cairo… Samira experienced nightmares and she woke up thinking that we were dead and that everything had been destroyed.”  

The closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt has completely halted medical evacuation of patients since 7 May. About 600 patients scheduled to be evacuated are currently unable to move. Between October 2023 and 18 May, there has been 12,760 requests for medical evacuations to Egypt and other countries. 

Laila Toema, a psychologist and Save the Children Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Advisor in Egypt, said:  

“Children from Gaza have suffered unimaginable mental harm from the violence, serious physical injuries, including the loss of body parts, and the loss of families, homes, and their schools. They are also tortured by the uncertainty of not knowing where their loved ones in Gaza are and what will happen to them. Living under this kind of stress for so long is enough to destroy anyone’s health, both physical and mental. 

“Despite what they have experienced, children are resilient, and we know from experience in Egypt and in many other countries around the world that they can recover when we provide them with support to access medical assistance to treat their physical injuries, and help to regain a sense of stability, normalcy and safety. Save the Children is calling for an urgent increase of international support to address the short and long-term needs for displaced Palestinian children in Egypt, especially for mental health and psychosocial support services.”

”In Gaza, children continue to be maimed and suffer physical injuries, with little option for medical care or treatment, and their mental health is being pushed beyond breaking point. It’s estimated that more than 1 million children are in desperate need of mental health services. We call for an immediate ceasefire to save children’s lives and future.” 

Save the Children is working with Egyptian authorities to provide essential services for displaced Palestinians including cash assistance, support to cover medical costs and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). The MHPSS activities include group and one-on-one counselling for children and their caregivers, training Palestinians in Egypt to provide community-based psychosocial support to newly arrived Palestinians from Gaza and providing MHPSS training to Egyptian ambulance staff so they can better support child medical evacuees.  

Save the Children is also supporting the health authorities, including ambulances and public hospitals receiving medical evacuees from Gaza, through providing baby incubators and other essential medical supplies and equipment. It is also preparing to train frontline health workers on responding to paediatric blast injuries and mass casualties. Save the Children’s Gaza response in Egypt is done through partnering with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and with the support of Community Jameel and the Canadian Humanitarian Coalition Fund. 

For further enquiries please contact: 

Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager for North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe: Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org; 

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409 

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements, and location Vlogs. 

Source: Save The Children

ISLAMABAD, 23 May 2024 – More than half of Pakistan’s school age children – about 26 million – will be locked out of classrooms for a week due to an ongoing heat wave, the latest in a string of countries to shut down education due to climate extremes, Save the Children said.

At least 26 million[1] children in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab –  or 52 percent* of the country’s total number of pupils in pre-primary, primary and secondary education – will be out of school from 25 to 31 May.

1. https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/endpovertyinsouthasia/bringing-13-million-more-children-school-lessons-punjab
2. Government of the Punjab School Education Department notification 21 May.
3. Pakistan Metrological Department: https://twitter.com/pmdgov
4. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/born-into-the-climate-crisis.pdf/
5. https://www.unicef.org/eap/press-releases/sweltering-heat-across-east-asia-and-pacific-puts-childrens-lives-risk-unicef
6. World Bank Pakistan country profile.

Source: Save The Children

Save the Children workers upload water in a van to be distributed to collective centers for displaced families in Kharkiv, Ukraine. More content available here.

KYIV, 21 May 2024 – At least 700 children have been evacuated from border towns in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region after intensified fighting displaced thousands, many of whom have been forced to flee multiple times, said Save the Children [1].

At least 30 people have been killed and 87 injured, including four children, since fighting escalated along the Ukraine-Russia border in recent weeks.

More than 16,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with around 10,000 being formally evacuated by local authorities or aid workers [2].

Most evacuees have settled in Kharkiv city, with around 40% requiring accommodation and many moving into temporary shelters known as collective sites [3]. These makeshift dormitories are often overcrowded and lack essential items such as clothing, hygiene products, and medicines, while also posing an increased risk of domestic violence and exploitation.

Safety remains a huge concern for the evacuated families in Kharkiv city. Ukraine’s second largest city – home to around 1.3 million people – has been under relentless bombardment in recent months, with airstrikes on schools, hospitals and residential areas.

Over the weekend, seven people were reportedly killed in a missile strike in a Kharkiv city suburb, and 28 were injured, including an eight-year-old girl. Kharkiv has been a major flashpoint in the war, repeatedly hit since the conflict began, displacing countless families and children multiple times. Due to constant bombardment and electricity cuts, children in Kharkiv city are missing out on education and have impaired access to healthcare. 

Sonia Khush, Save the Children Ukraine Country Director, said:

“This is heartbreaking. Children are being displaced again; families are being forced to abandon their homes again. For many, this has happened multiple times throughout this war. Plunged into uncertainty, they still cannot feel safe, and their only hope is to return home and to be spared from atrocities.

“Children, deprived of their childhood for more than two years now, are suffering the worst of this escalation. Instead of learning and playing peacefully, they find themselves trapped in a cycle of violence and fleeing the horrors of conflict again and again.”

Almost 4 million people, including 946,000 children, are internally displaced across Ukraine, with over 111,500 people living in collective sites, according to the United Nations. At least 14.6 million people – around 40% of Ukraine’s current population – need humanitarian assistance to survive.

Save the Children calls for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Civilians and civilian objects, especially those impacting children such as homes, schools, and hospitals, must be protected from attack all the time.

Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has scaled up operations since the war escalated in February 2022. The organisation is working closely with multiple partners to provide life-saving assistance such as food and water, cash transfers, and safe spaces, to make sure children and families impacted by this crisis have the support they need.

Note to Editors:

[1] According to the Relief Coordination Centre, 274 children were evacuated and registered at the Kharkiv transit centre, and 429 children were registered as self-evacuated on 10-19 May.

[2] OCHA Flash Update: https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-impact-intensified-hostilities-kharkivska-oblast-flash-update-6-last-updated-19-may-2024-enuk

[3] https://suspilne.media/kharkiv/747563-ak-evakujovani-z-pivnoci-regionu-oblastovuutsa-u-gurtozitkah-harkova/

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For further enquiries please contact:

Source: Save The Children

A child watching the village destroyed by recent floods. Atabek khadim/ Save the Children

Afghanistan’s children have endured decades of conflict and suffering. Now, a perfect storm of climate disasters, a severe economic crisis and the collapse of essential services since the US withdrawl from the country are pushing children to the brink.

The recent flash floods and torrential rains have only made matters worse for a country suffering its worst humanitarian crisis in decades. 

{cta | A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Afghanistan. Your support is urgently needed. | https://donate.savethechildren.org/en/donate/donate-child-emergency-fund| Donate now}

What has happened?

Flash floods in Northern Afghanistan have killed at least 200 people and left about 40,000 children homeless.

Water tore through villages, sweeping away homes and killing livestock. Children have lost everything.

Children and their families are now living under trees or in the ruins of their homes.

12-year-old Firoza* was at home with her sisters and nieces when she heard thunder – and then the sound of water rushing down the hill above her. She said: 

“I wanted to climb up the hill, but I heard the flood. People shouted to me to come down because a flash flood was coming from the top [of the hill]. If I had not gone inside the house, I would have been taken away by the flood. My sister was just a few steps away from me. I shouted many times, but she did not hear me, and the flood took her away with the two children.” 

Firoza’s 4-year-old niece was one of those children. She was swept away and did not survive. Firoza’s sister was also seriously injured and was airlifted to hospital.

 Firoza*’s house which has been partially damaged in recent flash flood. Ummay Habiba/ Save the Children

How are we responding?

Less than 48 hours after the floods, Save the Children’s ‘clinic on wheels’ was in Baghlan province treating families. The mobile clinic has a medical team, mental health specialists and a mobile child-friendly space. 

Our health teams have so far provided services to 1,758 people. We have also distributed 50,000 litres of drinking water over the last three days and, working with local partners, we have delivered essential items including blankets, children’s clothes and kitchen and hygiene kits.

Save the Children Staff speaking to the locals to assess the impact of the floods and identify their needs. Ummay Habiba / Save the Children

How can you help?

The impacts of these devastating floods are immediate – and long term. Children urgently need clean water and healthcare to ensure that the existing disaster is not made even worse by a disease outbreak. They also need long term mental health support – so many have lost loved ones.

80% of Afghans rely on agriculture for their income but there is no quick fix for the thousands of acres of devastated farmland. There is no easy solution for livelihoods that have yet again been decimated by the effects of the climate crisis. 

With more support from the international donor community, we can together address the immediate and long term impacts of the climate crisis in Afghanistan and help communities to prepare for the impacts of extreme weather.

Donate to our Children’s Emergency Fund to support children living in crisis in Afghanistan.

Source: Save The Children

KABUL, 17 MAY 2024 – Children and their families are living under trees or in the ruins of their homes after a village was nearly entirely destroyed by flash floods that tore through Baghlan province in Northern Afghanistan one week ago, said Save the Children.

The floods that hit Afghanistan have killed at least 200 people – including children – according to the de facto authorities, and left many more homeless.

Burka district in Baghlan province is one of the most severely affected areas, with many people entirely reliant on aid after losing everything. More than 3,100 homes in the province have been destroyed [1], according to the most recent interagency assessments, with the damage to four districts in the province remaining unknown as they are inaccessible by road. This number is also likely to change, with wide variations in the reporting of numbers as rescue operations continue.

12-year-old Firoza* was at home with her sisters and nieces when she heard thunder – and then the sound of water rushing down the hill above her. She said: 

“I wanted to climb up the hill, but I heard the flood. People shouted to me to come down because a flash flood was coming from the top [of the hill]. If I had not gone inside the house, I would have been taken away by the flood. My sister was just a few steps away from me. I shouted many times, but she did not hear me, and the flood took her away with the two children.” 

Firoza’s 4-year-old niece was one of those children. She was swept away and did not survive. Firoza’s sister was also seriously injured and was airlifted to hospital. Firoza said:

“Only about 20 women survived – the others were taken away by the flood. We found my injured niece one or two minutes away from here. A boy rescued her. If that boy had not rescued her, she would have died. His lower back, hands, and feet are injured.” 

“Now, there is no life left for us here. The government only provides us with bread and biscuits, nothing else. We don’t have water – the flood washed away our water storage. We had two gallons of water that is finished now.

“In the past, there were floods, but they were not this severe. This time, it was so severe that people could only try to save themselves, and everything was washed away.

“For the past two or three years, there has been a lack of water and poor harvests. Everything became expensive, leading to hunger – we could not afford food. My father is jobless and old. 

“Before, the village was green and beautiful like heaven. I used to like sitting on the green grass. Now everything is ruined, and when you see it, you feel crazy. You want to put your head in your hands and shout and cry.”

Save the Children is operating a ‘clinic on wheels’ in Baghlan as part of its emergency response programme. The clinic includes male and female doctors, mental health and child protection specialists, as well mobile child friendly spaces. Children in the flood hit areas have little access to clean water, with some reporting stomach problems to our health teams. Our health teams have so far provided services to 1,758 people. We have also distributed 50,000 litres of drinking water over the last three days and, working with local partners, have delivered essential items including blankets, children’s clothes and kitchen and hygiene kits.

Arshad Malik, Country Director for Save the Children in Afghanistan, said:

“The impacts of these devastating floods are immediate – and long term. Children urgently need clean water and health care to ensure that the existing disaster is not made even worse by a disease outbreak. They also need long term mental health support – so many have lost loved ones.

“80% of Afghans rely on agriculture for their income. There is no quick fix for the thousands of acres of devastated farmland. There is no easy solution for livelihoods that have yet again been decimated by the effects of the climate crisis.

“More than half of Afghanistan’s population need humanitarian assistance. With more support from the international donor community, we can together address the immediate and long term impacts of the climate crisis in Afghanistan and help communities to prepare for the impacts of extreme weather.”

Save the Children has been supporting communities and protecting children’s rights across Afghanistan since 1976, including during periods of conflict and natural disasters. We have programmes in nine provinces and work with partners in an additional seven provinces. Since August 2021, we’ve been scaling up our response to support the increasing number of children in need. We deliver health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, and livelihood support.    

ENDS

[1] OCHA report 16 May https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-floods-flash-update-2-floods-hit-northeastern-afghanistan-16-may-2024.

*denotes names changed to protect identity.

We have spokespeople available in Afghanistan.

Multimedia content available here

For interview requests and further information, please contact: 

Amy Sawitta Lefevre: amy.lefevre@savethechildren.org +6681317923

Daphnee Cook: Daphnee.cook@savethechildren.org +33745140683

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409    

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements, and location Vlogs. 

Source: Save The Children

MADRID, 14 May 2024 – About20,000 migrants, including more than 1,500 children, arrived in Spain in the first four months of 2024, with 80% headed to the Canary Islands, making it the most heavily used migration route to Europe so far this year, Save the Children said. 

Even though migrant crossings to Spain usually decrease in winter, this year has seen a record number of arrivals, with a 190% increase compared to the same period last year, raising fears that the number will rise significantly over the summer months.

The surge in arrivals can be attributed to political and economic instability, hunger, and the escalating climate crisis, which are driving an increase in migration worldwide. According to the United Nations, 20 million people are forced to flee their homes annually due to extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts, torrential rains, and desertification.

About four in five migrants who arrived in Spain this year – almost 16,000 – travelled to the Canary Islands from West Africa. With the sea route from West Africa to the Canary Islands  highly dangerous,  an average of 16 fatalities per day were recorded in 2023, resulting in over 6,000 lives lost.

Bárbara González del Río, Migration Specialist at Save the Children Spain, said:
“If over 1,500 migrant children have already arrived in Spain this year, we anticipate a significant increase in crossings during the summer months, potentially surpassing last year’s record influx of over 5,100 minors. As long as there is a need in the countries of origin, people will continue to move, and the migratory flow towards Europe will continue to exist.

“With over 5,700 migrant children already under guardianship in the Canary Islands, support systems are overwhelmed. Urgent action is needed from other communities to alleviate this critical situation. The Spanish government and autonomous communities must swiftly find solutions.

“We cannot forget that these children are fleeing conflict, hostile environments, and hunger. Our obligation to the children who arrive in our country is to care for them in a way that is adapted to their needs and to ensure that their rights are guaranteed.”

Save the Children is calling on the government of Spain to prioritise the protection and reception of migrant children by:

• swiftly identifying vulnerable individuals, such as potential trafficking victims
• ensuring unaccompanied minors are evenly disrupted between different communities to avoid overwhelming support systems
• scaling up support systems for unaccompanied migrants to ensure their successful integration into society.

Save the Children Spain works in coordination with other organisations and local administrations to meet the specific needs of migrant children. Save the Children also provides safe places where young migrants who’ve gone through the protection system and have been left without the proper resources to transition to adult life, find a job, learn Spanish and continue studying if they wish to do so.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

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For further enquiries please contact:

–          Samantha Halyk, Senior Global Media Manager based in London at Samantha.halyk@savethechildren.org

–          Laura Casajus Izquierdo, Communications Specialist based in Spain at laura.casajus@savethechildren.org

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

Source: Save The Children

Tents in crowded al-Mawasi, following the forced relocation of families from Rafah [Save the Children]

GAZA, 13 May 2024– Many Families in Gaza are being forced to flee for the fifth time in seven months while supporting elderly relatives and injured children as Israeli forces issue new relocation orders for northern and southern parts of the Strip, said Save the Children. 

 The UN has said more than 360,000 Palestinians have now fled Rafah to other areas in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing relocation orders.

Israeli bombardment from the air, land, and sea continuing to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip with fighting intensifying. Vital supplies like fuel, medicine, and other aid, are running out in Gaza with the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings closed since 5 May.

The Health Cluster has warned that the immediate resumption of fuel supplies into Gaza is an urgent priority to keep alive what remains of Gaza’s decimated health system, with life-saving health services at a near standstill.

A Save the Children staff member said: 

“This is the fifth time we have been forced to move, following the new relocation orders. We were first displaced from Gaza to Khan Younis, then to different areas in Rafah, and now to Deir Al-Balah. This is destroying us mentally. I have a son with me, and my mother who is 70 years old. Every time we start to get used to a place, we are forced to move again. 

My mother has diabetes and high blood pressure. She’s lacking the medication she needs but we can’t find it anywhere. It feels like we are being killed slowly. Our children are missing out on their life, education, they are experiencing lack of stability, forced displacement, fear. I can’t explain what it feels like living through this for the fifth time. We are paying the price for a war that we have nothing to do with.” 

Medical staff at Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit in Al-Mawasi have been treating children who have been wounded from airstrikes in the Israeli-designated “humanitarian zones”, such as Deir Al-Balah.  

 Lara*, 2, sustained horrific injuries to her face, torso, and leg during an airstrike in Deir Al-Balah that also killed her aunt – an area that is supposedly part of the safe area where people have been ordered to go. When her family relocated to Al Mawasi shortly after the attack, she was brought to a field hospital where Save the Children is providing healthcare services for children.

Dr John Lawrence, Save the Children’s paediatric surgeon working in the field hospital in Al-Mawasi, said Save the Children’s paediatric surgical team operated on Lara* but need to closely monitor her infected wound:  

“Just after the attack, Lara was transported to a medical facility in Deir Al-Balah where her injuries were treated without anaesthetic. Now she’s here in Al-Mawasi, Lara will be cared for in our paediatric in-patient ward. It’s inconceivable to discharge Lara while she still has open wounds. The dire living conditions in Al-Mawasi and the extreme lack of clean water and sanitation facilities are too risky for children like Lara. 

“Lara always has a family member with her in the hospital and we’re encouraged by the progress she’s making. However, the scars on her face will be a permanent reminder of the unspeakable trauma she has endured.”   

Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory Xavier Joubert said:  

“Some families have now been displaced more than five times in seven months. People who have survived the war so far in Gaza are exhausted, depleted, and despairing.   

We were running out of words to describe the scale of horror facing children already in October, and yet here we are, still trying to find a way to describe how atrocious this war is and how badly children are being harmed – physically and mentally. As we’ve said before, there is nothing humanitarian about these “humanitarian” zones and there is nothing safe about these relocation orders. How many times do we have to repeat ourselves before member states act?” 

Save the Children is calling for an immediate, definitive ceasefire to protect the lives of children in Gaza. All crossings into Gaza – the only lifeline for families – must be reopened, and unimpeded humanitarian access guaranteed across the Strip.  All States must pressure the Government of Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah, and they must immediately halt the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups while there is a risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.   

Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children since 1953. Save the Children is taking steps to support and protect its staff and continue helping children and families across Gaza, constantly monitoring the situation in Rafah to see if and when it will continue its operations.  

For further enquiries please contact: 

Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager for North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe: Randa.Ghazy@savethechildren.org; 

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409 

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