Project details
Supplied by Save the Children Australia
AUD 30,002
Raised from 3,922 people
Project Background
Since violence escalated in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT) on 7 October 2023, at least 2,000 children have reportedly been killed in Gaza. Homes, hospitals, and schools have been destroyed.
Children have played no part in this conflict, yet they are the worst affected. “The constant sounds of bombing every moment and thinking how we will get food… Words cannot describe what we are living,” said Lina*, 16, daughter of a Save the Children staff member in Gaza.
In Gaza, an estimated 80% of the population was already reliant on international aid to survive and access basic services before the current escalation, with 1 in 3 people across the region facing severe levels of food insecurity. Now those needs have intensified, with families struggling to get enough food, water, fuel, and medical care.
The knock-on impacts of this escalation will be felt across the region, with more families forced to flee their homes and seek safety. Children’s lives and futures are at risk – we urgently need your support to protect them.
Project Overview
Save the Children has been working since 1953 to protect the rights of children in Gaza and the West Bank, with teams present in both areas. Together with our partners, we’re calling for an end to the violence and for urgent humanitarian access.
Our teams across the region are ready to provide lifesaving support as soon as it’s possible to do so. Our response will include:
- Providing urgent food, water, and winterisation kits (with warm clothes and blankets) to families
- Setting up safe spaces for children and providing mental health and psychosocial
- support for children and their caregivers
- Deploying our Emergency Health Unit and procuring essential medical equipment
- Providing emergency e-vouchers and multi-purpose cash transfers
- Setting up temporary learning spaces and repairing damaged schools
- Pre-positioning emergency supplies and being ready to respond to the needs of children and families who have been displaced into the neighbouring countries of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. This support will include providing clean water, essential hygiene items, emergency cash transfers, learning materials, and child protection support.
Project Outcomes
Children and families have access to the essentials they need to survive such as:
- Food
- Water
- Warm clothes and blankets
- Mental health and psychosocial support
- Medical equipment and support
What costs are covered?
- Procuring and distributing essential supplies such as food, water, medical equipment, educational resources, and facilitating cash transfers
- Mobilising teams and setting up support services for families arriving in neighbouring countries
- Setting up and running child friendly spaces for children
Partner and community involvement
Along with Save the Children staff, we will be providing support to affected children and families through 33 local partner organisations. The local knowledge of our staff and partners is vital in our response as they have a deep understanding of the contextual challenges and specific needs of children in the region.
How does this project fit into a larger strategy?
Save the Children is a leading international development organisation working to support children and young people experiencing disadvantage to reach their full potential. We work to achieve the rights of all children, but we put children who are experiencing the greatest disadvantage first in our own work.
Our mission and the base of all our work is that every child:
- Survives: No child dies from preventable causes before their fifth birthday
- Learns: All children learn from a quality basic education
- Is Protected: Violence against children is no longer tolerated
The work being done as part of this response is at the heart of everything Save the Children does, ensuring that innocent children are safe and have access to their basic human rights.