Gaza stands out for many, because the suffering of children there has become one of the most visible and heart-wrenching tragedies in recent memory.
Thousands of children in Gaza have been killed, injured, orphaned, or displaced. Entire families have been wiped out. The destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals has made survival, let alone childhood, nearly impossible for many. In a region already under siege and blockade, the trauma is layered and ongoing.
Yet, even in Gaza, people are still trying to help. Here are some of the key groups and efforts worth knowing about and, if you’re moved, supporting or amplifying:
Organizations Helping Children in Gaza
UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency)
- Provides education, healthcare, and emergency aid to Palestinian refugees, including in Gaza.
- Runs schools and clinics (though many have been damaged or destroyed).
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
- Delivers emergency medical supplies, supports trauma surgeries, and trains local healthcare workers.
- Focuses heavily on child and maternal health.
Save the Children
- Has long worked in Gaza on education, psychosocial support, and emergency aid.
- Regularly publishes reports highlighting the mental health crisis among Gaza’s children.
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)
- Provides free medical care for injured or ill Palestinian children.
- Brings children abroad for surgeries when needed and sponsors pediatric programs in Gaza.
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)
- Offers surgical care, mental health services, and emergency response.
- Operates in very dangerous conditions to reach wounded children..
What You Can Do From Afar
- Speak up about the plight of Gaza’s children in conversations, letters to officials, or on social media.
- Donate (if able) to organizations with a trusted presence in Gaza.
- Host a circle or reflection specifically to honor the suffering of children in war, with a focus on Gaza.
- Support ceasefire and peace efforts by joining petitions or contacting your representatives.
- Learn and share stories, humanizing Gaza’s children helps combat the dehumanization that allows these atrocities to continue.
A Final Thought
You don’t need to have all the answers to care deeply, and to act from that caring. Just beginning, by asking your question, by feeling your heartbreak is already a form of resistance against a world that too often grows numb.