Category: New Zealand NGOs

Source: Save The Children

Children playing at Save the Children’s Child Friendly Space in Akobo West (Walgak). Save the Children

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has left many individuals displaced, vulnerable, and inadequately supported. As such, it has become essential to increase local and national actor (LNA) representation in aid operations – especially in remote areas – because they are best positioned to address the needs of affected communities.

In 2020, local leaders in South Sudan took action to respond to their country’s crisis, and thus, the idea of the (LRPF) was born. The initiative launched officially in September 2021, and it became a loose network that connects and brings local leaders to the forefront of the humanitarian response. The goals of the LRPF are to build the capacity of LNAs to where they can access donor funding, offer a funding modality that centres on the needs of the local people, and push the Grand Bargain[1] agenda forward in South Sudan.

The LRPF initially started off with 90 small organizations within its network, and today, it has 196 registered national constituent organisations.

Standing in Solidarity

Although there was a vision, it was difficult for the LRPF to establish itself. The network not only lacked the expertise necessary to develop a strong, sustainable foundation, but it was also deficient in capacity, funding, and resources. Rombek Rombek, the chairperson for the LRPF and the director of Global Aim South Sudan recalled,

“We could not, of course, start alone. We needed a ‘mother’ or an international partner who could fight for us… So, Save the Children, on a goodwill basis, [agreed to partner with us].”

He noted that the LRPF reached out specifically to Save the Children because of its and from the work the international organisation had done in South Sudan. In response to their request, Rombek says that SCI confirmed:

“We will stand hand-in-hand with you, LRPF, but you need to develop your own systems. You need to stand [on your own], and to develop mechanism on how you’re going to work your own affairs because -this isn’t a Save the Children driven initiative, but should be a locally-led initiative.”

True to its word, Save the Children took on a supportive role by offering technical oversight (such as legal and financial expertise), advocacy efforts, capacity-strengthening training, and stood in as an interim host agency. The LRPF was able to refocus its priorities on developing itself internally, to be stronger externally.

Together, they developed strategies to further establish the LRPF as a self-sustaining organisation, such as by co-designing a governance structure, establishing an advisory board, and implementing training on mandatory risks. In addition, Save the Children’s brand presence empowered the LRPF to secure donor-partnerships from international organisations, namely, the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Centre for Disaster Philantrophy, who each brought thought partnership and critical seed funding to the initiative.

Equitable relationships and Shifting Power

When asked whether the LRPF and Save the Children had an equal partnership, Ezekiel Conteh, the senior director for the Humanitarian Program Portfolio at SC United States, commented:

“We now have the LRPF not because of what Save the Children is doing or did in its entirety, but also because of what the [local] partners did.”

In terms of the partnership’s balance of power, the LRPF’s statute of operations regulates Save the Children’s scope of involvement. This was an agreement made by both partners to mitigate any potential power imbalances and concede ownership of the decision-making processes to the LRPF. The relationship also encourages Save the Children to reflect on their position as an asynchronous INGO with an exceptional amount of influence and how their work impacts the communities they enter. Both sides, however, must work collaboratively towards closing the gap of power and privilege to truly shift the power. For that reason, the relationship between the LRPF and Save the Children should be described more as an equitable, rather than an equal partnership.

It is no surprise that since its conception in 2021, the LRPF has been shifting the minds of those who doubt locally-led approaches to humanitarian responses. Now, there is a new goal called the, “2025 Exit Strategy” in which Save the Children will offboard the partnership and the LRPF will be recognised as a fully independent local network.

Thank you to Rombek Rombek and Ezekiel Conteh for their time and willingness to share their perspectives on LRPF and Save the Children’s partnership.

For more information, read the LRPF case study and visit Save the Children’s You can also contact our Localization Team at localization@savechildren.org.

Source: Save The Children

Veha, 11, and his friends collecting plastic waste. Photo by Sacha Myers/Save the Children

Multimedia content available here

Phnom Penh, 2 November: Children living in floating communities on Tonle Sap Lake in northwest Cambodia are fighting to end pollution and plastic waste, through Save the Children’s innovative BioBars project. 

Pollution is a big issue in Cambodia, due to heavy levels of plastic use, combined with a lack of recycling and waste management facilities. In Phnom Penh alone, around 10 million plastic bags are used on a daily basis. Much of the plastic ends up in the country’s waterways, but the Biobars are designed to stop that from happening. Made from recycled water bottles and fishing nets, the cylindrical ‘bars’ trap floating rubbish.

Around 1.2 million people live in floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. There are limited waste management facilities, so people throw their rubbish into the lake, which pollutes the water,depletes fish stocks and impacts on family incomes. 

Kanha, 11, and her family live on Tonle Sap. She said: “I feel troubled because in my community, there is a lot of rubbish and it keeps increasing more and more and no tourists are coming to visit. My parents’ fishing is also declining.” 

Chanthou, 39, a teacher at a floating school on Tonle Sap, has noticed the impact of pollution on children’s health. He said: “They cannot come to school regularly because they fall sick and have a fever. This water contains germs that can cause skin irritations. So it also disturbs the studying of children.” 

Save the Children’s innovative BioBars project offers an economical and environmentally friendly solution. Schoolchildren are taught how to build biobars using old fishing nets and water bottles. Teachers and adults from the local community then place the biobars around the lake to prevent waste from entering communities. Local waste collectors remove the rubbish. 

Children also learn about protecting the environment and they in turn educate their communities about the dangers of throwing rubbish into the lake.  

Ratana, 13, lives on Tonle Sap and took part in the BioBar project last year. She adds: 

“The biobars are very important to the environment. There was a lot of rubbish but this year, there has been some reduction. I am very proud to see that people cleaned up and also reduced pollution.” 

Hong Reaksmey, Country Director of Save the Children Cambodia said: “Children living on Tonle Sap Lake are already vulnerable to ever-increasing climate shocks, such as flooding. It’s unfair that they also have to live amongst mounting waste, which is so damaging to their health. It’s fantastic to see children standing up for themselves and their environment, by encouraging people to stop polluting the lake.” 

Floating plastic is a global problem – only 9% of plastics are recycled properly globally. BioBars could be part of a global solution. The project builds on the success of a similar ‘biobar’ project, implemented by Save the Children in central America, and could easily be replicated in other areas.  

Save the Children supports the most marginalised and disadvantaged children in Tonle Sap, especially those living in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Save the Children works with communities, government, and local NGO partners to improve children’s lives – our programmes include early childhood care and development and basic education. 

Save the Children has been working in Cambodia since 1970. Together with children and local partners, Save the Children leads innovative programmes in child protection, education, child poverty, and health and nutrition, with a strong focus on gender, disability inclusion, and climate change. Save the Children has longstanding relationships with various government ministries, and generates research and evidence to influence policies and practices that promote child rights in Cambodia.

ENDS  

For more information and to request interviews please contact:

Rachel Thompson,  Rachel.Thompson@savethechildren.org;

Emily Wight, Emily.Wight@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

Hiba, 17, and Rama, 14, pose for a portrait in Za’atari camp for Syrian refugees, Jordan. Jordi Matas/Save the Children.

In December 2023, leaders from across the globe will gather for the 2nd Global Refugee Forum, it is a landmark opportunity to deliver decisive action for refugee children. Earlier this year, Save the Children published a new report – The Price of Hope – detailing the progress made on refugee education since 2019. This blog series is counting down to the start of the GRF with a deeper dive into some of the top refugee hosting countries, starting with Jordan.

“I keep telling her that we will achieve great things and the world will know about us” – Hiba 17-year-old and her younger sister Rama who is 14-years-old live in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan.

The two talented Syrian sisters took part in Save the Children and Arsenal’s Coaching for Life programme. It uses specially developed football training to build children’s courage and inner strength, and empower them to stand up for their rights. The sisters have been writing their own raps on ending early marriage and have been making a difference in their community by campaigning on this matter. The sisters are clearly capable of big things and access to a quality learning environment is essential to helping them achieve their dreams.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN JORDAN?

Jordan is surrounded by nations in conflict, making it host to one of the world’s largest global refugee populations, hosting 3,004,772 refugees. Over 2 million of which are Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA, mostly displaced due to the 1948 and 1967 Israel-Palestine conflicts. A 2017/18 survey found that 99% of Syrian children aged 6-11 were enrolled in a school, whether in a camp or not. Sadly UN figures show a sharp decline in enrolment, as low as 25%, for secondary school children. While there is a certified programme that offers a route back to education for those who have been out-of-school for a significant period, there is little uptake.

As an older refugee population, Palestinian refugees are more established in Jordan with most holding citizenship and 83% living in housing outside of refugee camps. The country is home to two Syrian refugee camps, the Za’atari camp housing 80,000 refugees, and the Azraq camp housing 40,000 refugees. The sustainability of the Za’atari camp remains in question as it has now been running for over a decade, with many refugees reporting structural issues and inadequate access to essential utilities.

BARRIERS TO EDUCATION FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN

The inclusion of refugees in the Jordanian education system varies across contexts, despite them being included in principle. Refugee children engage in a number of ways; some being mainstreamed into Jordanian schools, some taught in second shifts and, others taught separately in camp settings. The second shifts generally offer a lower quality of education as they have access to fewer resources and teaching staff, whilst also dropping classes deemed less important such as art.

SLOW ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PUBLIC DEBT THREATENS EDUCATION

The Jordanian economy has recovered from the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic, though the country has never recovered from the 2008 global financial crisis and financial stress of the subsequent Arab spring. By the final quarter of 2022, over 80% of refugee households were in debt and unable to cover basic needs with their own income, and around 90% took negative measures including some who withdrew their children from school.

The IMF has forecast slow economic growth for the next few years, placing the education of millions of children in the country at risk. Jordan’s public debt troubles have persisted for over a decade, reaching approximately 14.7% of the GDP at the end of 2022. These conditions threaten the spending needed on key educational infrastructure as paying off unsustainable levels of public debt are prioritised, with just 2.9% of the GDP being spent on education in 2020 and 5.9% spent on external debt servicing alone.

The economic situation in Jordan leads to greater levels of poverty, which exacerbate education inequality, especially for marginalized groups such as refugees. Poverty is a persistent barrier to school, particularly for refugee children of secondary school age. These children are often forced into child marriage, child labour, or cannot afford the transportation fees to school.

Administrative and legal barriers also make it more difficult for refugees to access the Jordanian education system. Although sometimes waived, Syrian children typically require a ‘service card’ to enrol in school, these cards are issued by the Interior Ministry but are specific to certain districts, meaning if a family moves the card is no longer valid in a new district.

Additionally, some legal barriers that are waived for Syrian refugees are not waived for non-Syrian refugees, who face even more significant issues in getting the legal documentation required to access formal education.

These barriers are denying refugee children access to the life-saving and protective impacts of a quality education in a safe school environment. The international community must mobilise at the upcoming GRF to deliver bold action that ensures an education for every last refugee child, in countries like Jordan.

FIVE THINGS SAVE THE CHILDREN WANTS TO SEE AT THE 2023 GLOBAL REFUGEE FORUM

1. Make the promise of the Global Compact on Refugees a reality. The Global Compact provide blueprints to ensure that refugees, as well as host communities, get the support they require to meet their education needs. We must not waste this opportunity.
2. Put refugee children at the heart of the Global Refugee Forum. They are experts on the challenges they face, their safe and meaningful participation must be prioritised.
3. Prioritise matched pledges to advance responsibility sharing. Educating refugee children is a global public good and must be a shared global responsibility.
4. Pledges must be meaningful, accountable and actionable. It is imperative that all pledges include timelines for completion and measurable targets and indicators so that progress can be properly tracked.
5. Focus on the money needed to ensure all refugees have access to quality education. Opening education to all refugee children and including them in national education systems can be achieved at an estimated annual cost of US$4.85 billion globally.

Source: Save The Children

Children and families at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Photo by Fahim Mayar/Save the Children. More content available here

Kabul, 1 November 2023 – Hundreds of Afghan children are crossing into Afghanistan from Pakistan every day with nowhere to live and no money for food after Pakistan announced that all undocumented foreigners must leave the country voluntarily by 1 November or face deportation, Save the Children said.

In the past six weeks, more than 120,000 Afghans have returned. Many children and families are returning with nothing and have nothing waiting for them.  Last week, 57% more people crossed back into Afghanistan compared with the previous week. About 86% said that “fear of arrest” was their reason for returning, according to the UN.

The government of Pakistan has stated that its policy is not aimed at Afghans, but Afghans make up about 1.4 million of an estimated 1.7 million undocumented foreigners.

Returnees have told Save the Children that once they cross the border, many have nowhere to go They don’t have anywhere to live or money to pay for food, rent or transport.

Some Afghan children who were born in Pakistan are coming to Afghanistan for the first time.

Jawid*, 17, said:

“I was born in Lahore and they didn’t allow me to attend school. Currently we don’t have anywhere to go. We don’t have a house in Afghanistan to live (in). I have been waiting at the Torkham border with my family for three  days.”

Kamal*, 14, said:

“We don’t have cash for food and (for) reaching our final destination”.

Afghanistan is enduring its worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory. Unprecedented levels of hunger and malnutrition combined with the worst drought in 30 years and a crippling economic crisis have left two out of three people in need of assistance. An estimated 3.2 million children under the age of 5 are facing acute malnutrition. On top of this, four deadly earthquakes devastated large parts of the western province of Herat in October which could further worsen food insecurity. Children’s access to fundamental rights like healthcare, protection, and safe and quality education has been drastically diminished.

Save the Children’s mobile health team is working on the Afghan side of the border providing emergency health, nutrition and psychosocial support for families who have crossed from Pakistan. We are constructing shelters, water and sanitation facilities with child -friendly toilets as well as a playground

Arshad Malik, Country Director for Save the Children in Afghanistan, has visited the border near Torkham. He said:

“We saw thousands of people living in squalid conditions on the Afghan side of the border without proper shelter, running water or toilets. Children and their families were gather red in small groups surrounding the meagre possessions they had brought with them from Pakistan. The children we saw were visibly distressed. Some were playing close to massive trucks. The border is no place for a child.

“These children need a place to call home. Many children and their families are returning with nothing – and have nothing waiting for them in Afghanistan. They need stability after being uprooted from their lives in Pakistan.

“Afghanistan is already enduring its worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory and is struggling to meet existing, massive needs due to shrinking international funding. Winter is fast approaching with temperatures dropping and thousands of people already in need of urgent assistance. Afghanistan cannot cope with a mass influx of people.”

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 are delivering health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, and livelihood support.

ENDS

—————————————————————————————————

Notes to editors:

*denotes name changed to protect identity.

We have spokespeople available in Afghanistan.

We have content available here.

For further enquiries please contact:

Rachel Thompson, Rachel.Thompson@savethechildren.org;

Emily Wight, Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org;

For out of BST hours enquiries please contact: media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44 (0) 7831 650409.

Source: Save The Children

KINSHASA, 1 November 2023 – More than 5% of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo area now displaced after the number of people forced from their homes rose by 27% in the past four months amid escalating violence, Save the Children said. 

About 2.8 million children are now displaced in the DRC, accounting for 40% of the total number of displaced people which has risen to 6.9 million from 5 million in July, according to the latest data from the UN Displacement Tracking Matrix. About 80% of those internally displaced are in the eastern provinces of Tanganyika, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. 

The DRC, with a population of about 95 million, has the second highest number of displaced people globally after Sudan, with persistent violence between government forces and armed groups destabilising the country. 

More than 26.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the DRC – or about one in every four people – including 14.2 million children. Conflict has been raging in parts of the country for nearly three decades, with children killed, sexually assaulted, abducted, and forcibly recruited for use by armed groups.  

Violence continues to rise, and since the beginning of October armed groups have launched several attacks in the northeastern regions of DRC with children continuing to bear the brunt of the conflict.  

Cecilia Thiam, Humanitarian Director for Save the Children in the DRC said:  

“Many children growing up in the DRC are living through the toughest experiences. Every day children are experiencing harrowing violations against their rights. They’ve watched their homes and schools being destroyed. Armed groups force their friends and family members into armed recruitment, and many have survived sexual and gender-based violence, abuse, and abductions. 

“Despite the extent of the crisis, the humanitarian response is severely underfunded. With the increased numbers of internally displaced people, the situation will become even more terrible, resulting in a shortage of food, healthcare, and shelter.  

Save the Children has worked in the DRC since 1994 to meet humanitarian needs linked to the displacement of populations due to armed conflict in eastern provinces, especially in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, and in Kasai-Oriental and Lomami in the centre of the country. In 2022, Save the Children reached more than 2.5 million people including over 1.1 million children . 

Save the Children has scaled up its humanitarian response to support existing care systems, training local leaders and communities to prevent and respond to exploitation and abuse, and ensuring access to healthcare through mobile clinics. It is also helping children access basic education by building classrooms, training teachers, and distributing learning materials.

ENDS 

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Displacement Tracking Matrix gathers and analyzes data to disseminate critical multi layered information on the mobility, vulnerabilities, and needs of displaced and mobile populations that enables decision makers and responders to provide these populations with better context specific assistance. 

Source: Save The Children

We, the 25 undersigned international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) operating in Yemen, are devastated by the death of Save the Children staff member Hisham Al-Hakimi who died in detention in Yemen. Hisham was a dedicated humanitarian who had been working with Save the Children since 2006. We would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time.

We stand in solidarity with Save the Children in Yemen who are providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to millions of children and families in extremely challenging circumstances.

Parties to conflict must ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and that their rights are respected, in line with international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We are concerned by reports that Hisham was detained without charges or legal proceedings and that no one was able to speak to or see him through the period of his detention. We call for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Hisham’s death.

Furthermore, we remain concerned for the welfare of three UN staff who have been detained — two since November 2021 and one since August 2023. We echo the UN Humanitarian Coordinator’s call for the Sana’a Authorities to provide full information on their circumstances as well as visitation access.

Signed,

ACTED
Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
ADRA Yemen
CARE
CIVIC
Concern WW
Danish Refugee Council
Direct Aid
FHI 360
Geneva Call
GiveDirectly
Humanity & Inclusion
International Rescue Committee
INTERSOS
Marie Stopes International Yemen
MdM
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
OXFAM
People in Need
PU-AMI
Saferworld
Search for Common Ground
Solidarités International
War Child UK

Source: Save The Children

SANA’A, 30 October 2023 – Nearly two-thirds of Save the Children’s programmes in Yemen will remain suspended this week as the organisation calls for an immediate independent investigation into the death of a staff member after 45 days in detention.

The aid agency suspended its programmes in the northern part of the country last week following the death of Safety and Security Director Hisham Al-Hakimi, 44, a father of four, who was detained on 9 September. No clear reason has been given for his detention. His death was reported on 24 October and his funeral was held on Sunday 29 October.

Last year Save the Children reached 1.8 million people in Yemen including 1.1 million children. The suspended programmes make up more than 65% of its operations in the country. 

Inger Ashing, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children International, said:

“This is a tragic event that will have repercussions for our staff member’s family, his colleagues and our work in Yemen. It is paramount that an investigation into his death is conducted as soon as possible.

“The safety and security of our staff is our first priority. In response to this incident, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our operations in the northern part of the country.

“At the same time, we are conducting a thorough assessment of the situation and the security implications for our staff and partners.”

Hisham was detained on 9 September while off duty. Despite repeated attempts by his family, legal representation and Save the Children’s teams, no one was able to see or speak with him throughout the entire period of his detention. No charges or legal proceedings were filed by authorities or reason given for his detention in Sana’a.

Hisham, who had eight-year-old twins and two teenage daughters, was a dedicated member of the Save the Children family since 2006. Hisham’s commitment to Save the Children’s mission in Yemen will be forever remembered. Save the Children sends its deepest condolences to the grieving family, friends, and colleagues. 

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly, has called on “the Sana’a authorities to provide complete and timely information” regarding the circumstances that led to the tragic death of Hisham.

His death came three months after World Food Programme official Moayad Hameidi was shot and killed by unknown gunmen in Al-Turba which was described by the United Nations as an “unacceptable tragedy”.

As well as calling for an independent investigation into Hisham’s death, Save the Children has,  as part of an internal review,  asked an external law firm to assist with reviewing the circumstances surrounding Hisham’s detention and the organisation’s response leading up to and following it. One staff member has been dismissed and steps are being taken to ensure all processes regarding staff safety are being followed. 

Save the Children has been working in Yemen since 1963, implementing programmes in education, child protection, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, and emergency response across most of the country. 

*******************************************************************************************************************

For further enquiries please contact:

Belinda Goldsmith Belinda.goldsmith@savethechildren.org on +44 791 929 3294

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

Source: Save The Children

Child runs through rubble after Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza. Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

By Gloria Donate, Director of Programme Development at Save the Children in the occupied Palestinian territory 

The warnings from Gaza keep coming – mere hours left of fuel, no food by the end of the week, water rations dwindling by the minute. Since October 7, more than two million people – around half of them children – have been suffering unimaginably under a “total siege” and amidst constant bombardment, fearing for their lives and in acute distress as to where their next meal, drink or safe place to rest might be. Meanwhile, there are at least 600 trucks carrying vital supplies less than an hour’s drive away in Egypt, which aren’t allowed to enter all at once. The aid that has made it through so far does not even scrape the surface of what is needed.  

Lives are being taken at a terrifying rate. Grandparents, mothers, fathers, siblings, cousins, friends, neighbours, colleagues–entire families–are being wiped from the registry, and whole communities levelled by heavy bombardments. There is no time to deal with the grief.  

Instead, while the international community continues to debate politics over people, communities in Gaza are helping themselves. After family homes, mosques, and hospitals have been destroyed, it is Gazans themselves who are picking through the rubble, trying to save each other. Communities are sharing the last rations of bread as bakeries stop working and food reserves run dry. Those who still have homes are welcoming whoever they can to shelter under their roof. 

As a humanitarian worker, it’s not uncommon to respond to emergencies in active conflict zones. But everything about this humanitarian response has been exceptionally challenging. Our staff, working around the clock to do their utmost to reach children, lack the tools we can usually depend on. Responding in this context has a different meaning.  

It means struggling to reach families who desperately need water when the trucks have no fuel. Without fuel, we have to calculate how far our partners can carry aid on their shoulders, while the bombs continue to fall around them. It means struggling to reach shelters where displaced children need urgent mental health support. It means calling partners and friends that we have worked with for years, and learning they lost colleagues or their entire family the day before, but they still pick up their phone to see what they can do to support children. It means a rush of excitement at finding a vendor that can help us provide food, only to realise the next day that he’s been killed by an airstrike. It means working with colleagues who are sleeping in the streets or haven’t had access to a toilet in days as they were forced to seek safety in an overcrowded shelter.  

It is relentless. Our colleagues in Gaza have no food and barely enough water to survive the day. Our ability to do our job is being stretched to its limits. Our ability to do our job is diminishing by the hour.  

This is not something humanitarians or the people of Gaza alone can solve.  

Palestinians are calling for help from the international community. The humanitarian community is calling for help from the international community. We all see the pictures of the devastation. We read the warnings about an impending catastrophe. But help is simply not arriving at the scale or speed needed to help children survive to see next week. 

We need an immediate ceasefire to stop the horrific loss of civilian life and to ensure aid can be delivered to those in need in Gaza. 

Nearly 600 organisations and more than 460,000 people across 60 countries have come together asking the world to act now.

People in Gaza urgently need food and water and medical supplies. But we also desperately need fuel, which the Government of Israel is not allowing in. 

We are no longer warning that it’s ‘two minutes to midnight’. There is not an impending humanitarian catastrophe. The catastrophe is here. 

Please let this be the last warning.  

Source: Save The Children

A view of a toy between the rubbles of a destroyed residential building after the Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, Gaza. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images

Just two weeks ago, I gave birth to my first child in East Jerusalem. My son is healthy, and my husband and I are so in love with him. But alongside the undimmed bliss of motherhood, there is grief and there is guilt.  

Grief for the mothers in Gaza who are writing their children’s names on their hands, so that if they’re killed, they can be identified before being buried in a mass grave. Grief for the mothers who are giving birth amid rubble rather than a hospital room – or having C-sections without anaesthetic. Grief for the mothers whose children are among the one thousand who are said to be unaccounted for, trapped under the rubble. Guilt for every happy moment I feel with my newborn knowing that mothers in Gaza endure constant fear for their child’s life or the unimaginable soul-crushing pain of their child’s death.  According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 3,300 children in Gaza have been killed in the last three weeks. 

As a Palestinian, I’m no stranger to living through conflict, having spent my entire life under Israeli-military occupation. The world generally describes the bouts of violence in the West Bank and Gaza as ‘clashes’, ‘skirmishes’, or ‘escalations’. I remember them as friends killed. Or my sibling detained. Or soldiers storming my home. Or a family home demolished. Or having to give birth alone without my family because of closures and checkpoints.  

But this is different. The sheer scale and ferocity of the hostilities in Gaza terrifies me. And the rhetoric and politicization of these tragedies fill me with dread. 

At times it feels as though the world thinks that Palestinian lives do not matter, as if the life of a child from Gaza is less important than those of other children in this world. There have been warnings from a UN Committee around hate speech after Palestinians were described as “animals”. This language dehumanises us and suggests the death and suffering of our children is somehow palatable. And while these words cannot diminish our dignity, make no mistake, these are dangerous words.  

I’ve been glued to my phone, as increasingly heartbreaking messages from friends and family in Gaza have been arriving. Waiting for the same message every morning “I am alive”. Until Friday night, when phone lines and internet access were cut. When communication lines are cut, people in Gaza are cut off from the world, cut off from each other – as well as being cut off from access to food, clean water, and medical care.   

It is no exaggeration to say that if aid isn’t allowed to enter Gaza at the scale required, many children will simply not survive. If the bombs don’t kill them, dehydration or disease will. If enough time passes without a ceasefire, without unimpeded humanitarian access, the aid waiting on those trucks will need to be replaced with coffins. But with just a dozen-odd trucks coming through one single crossing every day, I can’t help but wonder: how many trucks will be needed to carry 3,300 child-sized coffins? How many more will we need? 

The children caught up in this terrible conflict – children who had nothing to do with causing it urgently need your help.

You can help protect children’s lives in Gaza. Please give what you can by donating to our Children’s Emergency Fund.

Source: Save The Children