Shedding Light on the Issue: Childhood Poverty in Palestine
Poverty is widespread and severe in Palestine. Life for children in the Gaza Strip is a daily battle, as hunger, poverty and conflict perpetuate poor living conditions.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) declared the Israeli-Hamas conflict to be a ‘war on children’, as from October 2023 to February 2024, 12,300 children died in Gaza. This is more than the 12,200 children killed in global conflicts from 2019 to 2023.
Amongst the many problems faced by children during this time, this article considers the 5 most severe:
1. Wounded Child, No Surviving Family
Inside Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals, an influx of injured children are arriving alone without any family. This has prompted doctors to coin a new term: WCNSF. This heart-breaking label stands for Wounded Child, No Surviving Family and means the child is the sole surviving member of their family. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that around 17,000 children in Gaza are now WCNSF.
2. Malnutrition
Many children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition, as hunger is used as a weapon of war and the risk of famine increases daily. According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, 1 in 3 children under the age of 2, in northern Gaza are acutely malnourished. The World Health Organisation says children are experiencing “severe levels of malnutrition” and some are dying of starvation.
3. High Poverty Rates
The unparalleled loss of life, human suffering and destruction in the Gaza Strip are exacerbating the high poverty rates. The war is accelerating poverty for a population that was already struggling before the crisis hit. By November 2023, poverty increased by 45% and 660,000 people were pushed into poverty. Over 90% of children aged 6–23 months and pregnant, breastfeeding women face severe food poverty with access to 2 or fewer food groups each day.
4. Limited Access to Education
Mass displacement and violent atrocities in the Gaza Strip have disrupted learning for children in Palestine. As over 625,000 students and 22,500 teachers have been deprived of education. Most schools in the Gaza Strip have been turned into shelters, hosting over 1.2 million displaced people. 75% of all school buildings have been impacted. Despite the conflict, the UN and partners from the Education Cluster have been striving to offer recreational activities for children and psychosocial support in shelters.
5. Sanitation and clean water access
High levels of displacement and overcrowding in Gaza have led to challenging hygiene and sanitation conditions, including a lack of safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation facilities. This poses significant public health risks, especially for women and girls who lack access to segregated sanitation facilities and electricity in shelters. On average, 340 individuals share one toilet and 1,290 share one shower. Additionally, over 1 million women and girls lack access to sexual and reproductive health services, with an estimated 183 women giving birth every day, of whom 15% face complications due to the absence of medical aid during labour and delivery.
Concluding thoughts:
To address these challenges, readers can consider supporting humanitarian organisations such as Save the Children and UNICEF working in Palestine and raising awareness about the situation faced by children in Gaza. By spreading the word, individuals can contribute to making a positive impact and helping alleviate the suffering of those affected by poverty and conflict in Palestine.
