Girl from Gaza

Gaza and the West Bank

Gaza and the West Bank are some of the deadliest places in the world to be a child right now. 

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1.6 million children in the occupied Palestinian territories are in need of humanitarian assistance. 

The current war in Gaza and the West Bank - triggered by the attack by Palestinian Armed Groups on October 7th, 2023 - has made the crisis indescribably worse. An estimated 15,000 children have been killed, and roughly 1 in 10 have been maimed or injured. More than 17,000 children are estimated by the UN to be separated or left orphaned.

In Gaza and the West Bank, civilian infrastructure has been destroyed and essential aid and educational supplies blocked from entry. People are left in cramped shelters without access to food, water or health services. Meanwhile, children in the West Bank face reductions in basic services, as checkpoints to access schools, healthcare and other services are closed.

War Child believes that due to the war, every child in Gaza and the West Bank will need mental health support, with many requiring years of specialist treatment to recover from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The current situation

  • 3.3 M

    people in need of humanitarian assistance

  • 90 %

    of the population are displaced

  • 80 %

    of facilities are destroyed

Our work in Gaza and the West Bank territories 

War Child has been working in Gaza and the West Bank since 2006 to protect children from harm and stand up for their rights. 


In response to the devastating war on Gaza, we are working to deliver our biggest aid and mental health response in our history and are supporting thousands of separated and orphaned children. We’re also working with local partners to improve access to quality education and tackle gender-based violence. 
 

War Child programmes include

Emergency Aid

We’re on the ground delivering emergency supplies such as food, clean water and shelter. In 2023, we met the urgent needs of 119,867 children and adults, and in 2024 we have reached over 180,000 people, including more than116,600 children.

Child Protection

In Gaza and the West Bank, we have supported over 500 children who have been separated from their families or orphaned. In the West Bank, we continue to work with local partners to provide mental health support and child protection services, ensuring children receive the best immediate and long-term care.

Mental Health Support

Across oPt we run activities to help children process trauma and build resilience, including creative sessions and specialist mental health services.

Education

In the West Bank we are providing critical catch-up sessions for children whose education has been impacted by the increase in violence. In Gaza we run community education activities in shelters to ensure children can continue learning despite the conflict.

Reach Now

We train teachers and school counsellors to identify children in need of mental health support and refer them to more specialist services. So far, we’ve already trained staff in 100 schools across the West Bank.

Addressing gender-based violence

We strive to protect children from gender-based violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect through improving child protection and mental health support services in Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

We Rise

This project works to improve the participation of women and girls in national decision-making processes while also addressing violations of Palestinian women’s rights.

TeamUp 

TeamUp strengthens children's resilience through movement-based activities such as sports and dance. The sessions help to relieve stress and tension while helping children to process the trauma they have experienced.

Adam, aged 9, from Gaza.
The thing I wish for the most is that the war comes to an end.
Adam, aged 9.
We won’t stop until every child living through conflict is safe from harm. But we can’t do it without you.

Donate to War Child today and help us be there for children in Gaza and the West Bank and other conflict zones around the world. 

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