Gaza’s children need more than a ceasefire. We need to give them hope for a safe future

At the time of writing this, we are holding our breath, collectively, as we hope this fragile ceasefire in Gaza holds. After two relentless years of war, any pause to the violence brings a flicker of relief. But a ceasefire is only a first step; far from the end of the journey for Gaza’s children.

Every day for the last two years, children in Gaza have lived through trauma that no child should ever experience. Bombs falling on their homes and schools, family members dying in front of them, and barely enough food available to survive.

So many people have been killed it would take four full days to read out their names. Around 90% of homes families once lived in lie in rubble. What we have witnessed in Gaza is one of the worst chapters in modern history.

Read more:

• Laughter, songs and joy: This is how it felt the moment news of a ceasefire reached Gaza
• Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie: ‘It was hard to get artists to take part in Gig for Gaza’
• The UK has formally recognised the state of Palestine. So now what?

Our research last year found that 96% of children believed they would not survive, and nearly half wished to die because of the war. Now, an estimated 17,000 children have been orphaned and separated from their parents. The human cost is staggering, but the psychological cost, seen at a population level, may last a lifetime.

At War Child, we know that the true work begins when the bombs stop. It is only now that children and families in Gaza can start to make sense of what they have seen, what they have lost, and what comes next.

Our staff and local partners in Gaza are experienced, trusted, and deeply rooted in local communities. They have been with these children throughout this war, and we will continue to support them for as long as it takes to rebuild and recover.

Despite unimaginable risks, our teams and partners have supported over 100,000 children during the conflict, providing protection, education, and specialist psychological care.

But the scale of need is unprecedented. Normally in a conflict area, around one in five children need support to recover from trauma. In Gaza, it is every single child. We are now facing the world’s largest child mental health and protection crisis.

A permanent ceasefire would allow us to reach every child who needs us. Entire communities have been cut off for too long. With access, we can expand our work in establishing safe spaces for children to play and learn, delivering targeted mental health support, and equipping caregivers to help children navigate their trauma.

Rebuilding childhoods will take time. Children must be able to be children again – to play, to learn, to dream.

One 13-year-old boy in Gaza told us: “Don’t speak about us without listening to us. Our lives are not numbers. If you speak of peace, act on it.  If you speak of human rights, protect them. Help us live, not just exist. We want a future with dignity, justice, and hope, and we need you to help make that real.”

It is worth considering the context of the last two years where a 13-year-old child speaks in such profound and moving way.

War Child’s approach is holistic and evidenced based We know from our extensive research that it leads to better outcomes for children. We work with communities to identify the children at greatest risk – those who are orphaned, separated, or living with disabilities – and provide the specialised support they need.

This includes one-on-one and group therapy, caregiver programmes, and training for teachers and frontline workers to safely identify and refer children who need help. Temporary learning spaces allow children who have missed years of school to catch up, while teachers receive training to work with traumatised students.

War Child’s commitment is unwavering. We will deliver the largest humanitarian response in our history, scaling up support across Gaza. We will help our local partners to rebuild. They are the people who know the local communities, who know the vulnerable families and who have lived through the last two years of unrelenting war. They are the teams who should rebuild the people of Gaza and we will do all we can to support them.

But we cannot do this alone. This is a moment for global solidarity, for governments, donors, and communities to commit to the long-term recovery of Gaza’s children.

A ceasefire is not enough. It is a vital opportunity. A path to safety, healing and rebuilding lives. But for the children who have endured unimaginable loss, the promise of peace must be matched with sustained action.

A 21-year-old mother of two told our teams in Gaza: “There are many important issues we need in this time, but the most crucial is to go back to life. For the war to end. For us to feel safe. To go back to our home, and to have safety and stability. That’s our most fundamental need.”

We must act. Not only to ensure the violence has fully come to end, but to protect, educate, and heal. The children of Gaza are asking for nothing more than safety, stability, and the chance to rebuild their lives. They deserve nothing less than our full, unwavering support.

What comes next must be a generation-long commitment to restoring childhoods, nurturing hope, and delivering justice through action. The world owes Gaza’s children a debt that may never truly be repaid – yet we must never stop trying. At War Child, that is our promise.

Helen Pattinson is CEO of War Child UK.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Reader-funded since 1991 – Big Issue brings you trustworthy journalism that drives real change.

Every day, our journalists dig deeper, speaking up for those society overlooks.

Could you help us keep doing this vital work? Support our journalism from £5 a month.