Universal Children’s Day – A reflection on Palestinian childhood lost

As we mark Universal Children’s Day tomorrow – 20 November – dedicated to promoting children’s rights and well-being worldwide, we are reminded of the plight of Palestinian children in Gaza. Over the past year, they have endured unimaginable hardships, from the loss of family members to the destruction of their homes and schools. Gaza’s children are facing an alarming humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the recent ban on UNRWA, the agency that has long provided education, healthcare, and emergency assistance to Palestinian refugees.

Innocence Lost, Childhood Interrupted

Since October 2023, escalating violence has claimed thousands of lives in Gaza, with children bearing a devastating proportion of this toll. According to recent reports, almost 17,000 Palestinian children have been killed, with many more trapped under rubble or separated from their families amid the chaos. Many others face life-altering injuries, enduring both physical and psychological scars that may take a lifetime to heal.

Even those who survive are not spared from the trauma. For Palestinian children, conflict is a recurring nightmare that leaves lasting mental and emotional wounds. Forced to flee their homes or witness violence, they grow up in an environment marked by fear, loss, and instability. Research highlights that exposure to such traumatic events can severely impact a child’s cognitive and emotional development, affecting their ability to concentrate, learn, and dream of a future beyond survival.

As homes are bombed and families displaced, Gaza’s children are also deprived of a stable learning environment. Education, a pillar of any child’s development, has become a privilege that many in Gaza can no longer afford. Countless schools and educational facilities have been destroyed or damaged, disrupting education and placing children at greater risk of exploitation.

For years, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has supported Gaza’s children with more than 280 schools, where 290,000 children received a quality education and a sense of normalcy. But recent bans on UNRWA’s operations threaten to close these schools, leaving Gaza’s children without educational facilities and teachers who understand the unique traumas they endure. UNRWA’s schools provided lessons in reading and mathematics and psychological support, nurturing a safe space for children to learn, grow, and build resilience in a world often hostile to their needs​.

The Impact of UNRWA’s Ban: An Educational and Humanitarian Crisis

The ban on UNRWA creates a looming catastrophe for Gaza’s children, whose right to education, security, and healthcare is now at further risk. Without these schools, thousands of children may be forced to leave education altogether, putting them at risk of child labor or early marriage. UNRWA has been a beacon of stability, offering children a sense of purpose and a chance to reclaim their childhoods despite the hardships of living under blockade and frequent bombardment.

UNRWA’s critical role goes beyond classrooms. Their schools also served as shelters during times of conflict and provided essential nutrition programs for impoverished children. Removing these resources threatens to deepen an already devastating humanitarian crisis. To learn more about UNRWA’s work, visit their website here.

A Call to Protect Gaza’s Children

On this Universal Children’s Day, we call on the international community to safeguard the rights of Palestinian children to live, learn, and grow free from fear and deprivation. This includes urging policymakers, including those in the UK, to advocate for the immediate restoration of UNRWA’s operations in Gaza. Humanitarian support for Gaza’s children should be non-negotiable, and education must be recognised as an essential component of peacebuilding and stability.

Gaza’s children deserve a future filled with hope and opportunity. By standing together to support organizations like UNRWA and challenging policies that endanger their work, we can help ensure that Palestinian children do not lose their right to a childhood.

This Universal Children’s Day, let us remember these children and commit to protecting and supporting them. To learn more about how you can help, consider contacting your local MP and supporting initiatives safeguarding children’s rights globally.