Gaza: Help for children urgently needed

There is an acute famine in Gaza. Humanitarian care has almost completely collapsed - the targeted starvation of the civilian population is a war crime. And yet this happens in front of all eyes.

Donate for the children in Gaza

Children hit the hardest. At least 80 children have died of the consequences of malnutrition since April. In total, more than 100 people have already starved, most of them were children. In the first two weeks of July, another 5,000 malnourished children had to be treated medically. In Gaza City, the proportion of acute malnourished children has quadrupled since February. Current numbers speak of about half a million people in Gaza at the highest hunger level - they are acutely threatened by starvation. More than 71,000 children and 17,000 mothers urgently need therapeutic help due to acute malnutrition.

Gaza hardly reach relief goods anymore. On average, only 28 auxiliary transports arrive every day - far too little for over two million people. Food, water and medication are waiting at the limits - but access is refused or delayed. Anyone who tries to reach relief goods risks their life: 875 people were killed in their search for food, including 201 on so -called auxiliary routes.

Since the beginning of the war, more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed, a large part of them women and children. Millions of people are displaced, the infrastructure is destroyed, medical help is hardly possible. On October 7, 2023, Hamas killed 1,182 people in a brutal attack on Israel and delayed 251 hostages.

With the latest evacuation command of July 20, the population was limited to less than 12 percent of the Gaza Strip. The UN warn: Under these conditions, effective help is hardly possible. Israeli warfare increasingly disregards boundaries of international law. It is not only directed against armed groups, but specifically hits the civilian population - the life of hostages is also endangered. In the meantime, the Israeli government speaks openly about the depopulation and the annexation of Gazas.

The humanitarian system hasn't failed—it's been blocked. Terre des Hommes , medico international, and their local partner organizations continue to provide life-saving assistance. But without safe access and political pressure on those responsible, this work will be impossible.

Please donate

Our auxiliary measures

The organization "Al-Ard for Agricultural Development" provides mobile sanitation facilities and ensures the maintenance and supply of electricity to wells in the displaced persons camps. Clean drinking water and functioning sanitation facilities are crucial to protecting the health of children and families. We have also already supported the work of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) and the Mayasem Association, which provide medical assistance under difficult conditions and are fighting with all their might for people's survival.

In the shadow of war, violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and the expropriation of Palestinian housing are increasing in both the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Together with our sister organization Terre des Hommes Italy, which has been supporting Palestinian children and young people for over 20 years, we support kindergartens in East Jerusalem to create educational opportunities and ensure the children's development.

questions and answers

Our help in the Gaza Strip continues under difficult conditions. We answer all questions about the use of your donation here:

The situation in Gaza is dramatically unique in the world. The Israeli warfare, including the forced relocations and the concentration of the population of Gaza in ever smaller areas, significantly complicates the care of the civilian population. With the establishment of the private foundation »Gaza Humanitrian Foundation« supported by the USA and Israel, the United Nations (VN) supply system, established for decades, is avoided in Gaza. According to the United Nations, several hundred people have been killed by fire and thousands have been killed since the Foundation was commissioned.

International humanitarian organizations and the United Nations call for the return to the well -established distribution system under the leadership of the UN. So far, the international community has mostly reacted with appeals and limited sanctions, which, however, do not adequately address the underlying system of the crew and displacement. Humanitarian aid alone cannot solve the structural causes of humanitarian disaster. The continued blockade and military violence prevent a sustainable improvement in living conditions in Gaza.

Terre des Hommes , in alliance with medico international, is working with local partner organizations in Gaza. These local organizations are providing the population with the best possible assistance. Many local staff members are themselves affected by the war and, like the rest of the population, are fighting for their own survival and that of their fellow human beings.

The circumstances on site can vary and change at any time at any time. The shelling and displacement have been everyday for people for almost two years. Accordingly, aid measures must be adapted again and again and sometimes limited to a limited extent.

Our alliance partner Medico International has its own office on site and has been working with local Palestinian and Israeli non -governmental organizations for many years. These have the logistical capacities, the knowledge and the operational range to effectively provide help. The long -term relationships with the local partners enable transparent and trusting cooperation.

Terre des Hommes has already supported a variety of relief efforts, including medical assistance, the construction of a soup kitchen, and sanitation facilities. Together with partner organizations, the expansion of these efforts is being examined. However, the implementation of these measures depends on the current security situation.

Terre des Hommes also supports children and families in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The war in Gaza is not an isolated event, but is closely interwoven with regional developments and historical circumstances. We continue to monitor the situation on the ground and are in close contact with medico international and our partner organizations.

Yes, Terre des Hommes projects are also affected by fighting. For example, Israeli airstrikes completely destroyed two tent halls belonging to the Palestinian organization Mayasem Association in Al-Qarara in the southern Gaza Strip. The tent halls housed a soup kitchen and a school – facilities financed with support from Terre des Hommes .

Terre des Hommes strongly condemns the attacks on our partner organization and the destruction of humanitarian infrastructure. Our solidarity goes out to the staff in our projects who risk their lives every day to help people.

Our demands

As a child rights organization, we are at the side of all children worldwide and are committed to compliance with child rights and humanitarian international law. We therefore demand:

Permanent opening of the border crossings in order to bring humanitarian aid safely and effectively to the Gaza Strip.
A permanent ceasefire to prevent further suffering and losses, especially for the children.
Specific action by the German Federal Government and the International Community to ensure basic care and medical help in the Gaza Strip.
Immediate stop German arms exports to Israel, which are associated with risks for further human rights violations and war crimes in the Gaza Strip
Long-term investments in the reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure, especially in the area of water and health care.

It is crucial that the international community - and with it the German federal government - asserts its influence and takes concrete measures to stop violence and dying in Gaza and to immediately improve the emergency of the population in the Gaza Strip.

Terre des Hommes , in alliance with medico international, is working with our partners to help people in Gaza.

Support the children and their families with a donation!

Petition "For a just peace"

In alliance with other organizations Terre des Hommes is committed to a just peace. The escalation of violence must end, and further suffering must be prevented. Support our petition with your signature:

To the petition