A Real-life “Hunger Games” is Unfolding in Gaza Before the World’s Eyes
After 22 months of brutal war on the Gaza Strip, children and their families are paying the highest price. Against all odds, UNICEF remains on the ground, standing by them.
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One in five babies in Gaza is now born preterm or underweight. Many people have no access to basic nutrition. This may be because their mothers were killed in the war, because humanitarian aid is being blocked, or because the collapse of healthcare and sanitation systems has made safe breastfeeding and access to baby formula nearly impossible.
At the same time, hundreds of children are risking their lives just to find food. Some walk for miles to reach communal kitchens. Others venture into dangerous areas, hoping to buy whatever little is available. And, children like 12-year-old Mohammad and 13-year-old Fadi have become the sole breadwinners for their families.
Skating on Top of Suffering: Mohammad’s Journey to Get Food
In the Gaza Strip, children and families endure what no human being should ever have to experience in a lifetime. This is not resilience. This is pain. This is what it means to have no way out. On yet another day where children risk their lives under bombardment and shelling just to get food for their families, Mohammad set out to buy some groceries. While he was out, an airstrike hit. He was badly injured in the leg. “People rushed me to a clinic in the Zeitoun area,” Mohammad said. “But there were tanks there, so we returned home. That night, they took me to the Baptist Hospital.” Eighteen days later, when the Baptist Hospital reopened, his family brought him back. He had surgery. His foot was stitched, and a metal plate was implanted. Like so many children in Gaza, Mohammad may never return to the simple joys of childhood. His mother, Khitam, said in a trembling voice: “My son used to love roller skating. Every day, he just sits there, staring at his roller skates, unable to play with them again.”
Through Thick and Thin: Fadi’s Battle for Food
Would you walk into a war zone for the people you love? It is a question that might come to mind in times of crisis. Many of us might hesitate. But 13-year-old Fadi did not.
Without a moment’s pause, Fadi stepped into danger, to bring home food to his starving family. After losing his father to the ongoing war in Gaza, he became the only one left to provide for his family. “My siblings and I are starving, and everything is too expensive,” he said. That day, Fadi succeeded in bringing home a single box of food. A small but meaningful victory in a reality where children are forced to carry burdens far beyond their years. In the Gaza Strip, children queue for hours under unbearable heat in the hope of securing basic necessities. Many have lost access to education, have lost family members, and have had their childhoods abruptly stolen.
This should not be Fadi’s fate. And it should not be the fate of any child.
UNICEF Has Been, Is, and Will Stay for Children
Despite inhumane conditions and the continued targeting of humanitarian workers, UNICEF teams remain on the ground, working around the clock to deliver life-saving support to children and families in Gaza. This includes, but is not limited to, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), clean water, cash assistance, and other vital aid helping to restore just a fraction of what these children have lost.
Yet, as UNICEF faces a growing funding crisis, we cannot do this alone. We rely on the generosity of our donors to continue this life-saving work.
Don’t hesitate. Give what you can to help us reach them.
