Impact of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on children’s health: Evidence and recommendations for mitigation

Abstract

On 7th October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1100 Israeli civilians. This was followed by a war in Gaza and Israeli forces continuously bombed and launched military attacks on the Gaza Strip. Over 13,000 children have been killed and thousands more injured, many of whom are suffering from disabling traumatic injuries. Given the recency of events and the unprecedented scale of the impact, this narrative review addresses the urgent need to synthesise the impact of the crisis on children’s health in Gaza. The review focuses on the impact of the war on healthcare, food insecurity, infectious diseases, children with disabilities and the psychological impact. Findings reveal that children in Gaza are facing life-threatening challenges affecting all aspects of their health. There are catastrophic levels of food insecurity with high rates of malnutrition. About 60% of WASH facilities have been destroyed and infectious diseases are widespread. Children with chronic medical conditions and a disability are especially vulnerable to the hostilities. The challenges of data collection during the war introduce uncertainty, making it difficult to fully understand the extent of harm. However, without urgent interventions, an entire generation of children are endangered and condemned to a future of ill health and suffering.

Keywords

• Children’s health
• humanitarian crisis
• malnutrition
• psychological harm
• Gaza
• SDG 2: Zero hunger