The news of a ceasefire deal brings long overdue hope for children in Gaza, as well as hostages and their families.
For two years, the people of Gaza have endured relentless suffering. And children in Gaza have heard too many broken promises. The collapse of past ceasefires has only deepened their fear and eroded trust.
Still, humanitarian need in Gaza today is immense. Over a million children are officially facing famine. Without urgent lifesaving aid and access, people will continue to die from hunger, dehydration, and lack of medical care.
Saving lives means more than silence on the battlefield – it means urgently scaling up humanitarian relief now.
Plan International has already delivered life-saving supplies. But we need more to tackle the scale of the crisis we’ve all seen unfolding in Gaza. The current trickle of trucks is nowhere near enough to match the scale of this emergency.
You can help us reach as many children in Gaza as we can. Please donate today.
Help children in Gaza now
News of a ceasefire brings hope for children in Gaza. But needs are still immense. Help us reach as many children in Gaza with life-saving aid as we can.
Our response
Conflict in the Middle East has led to millions of children and their families needing life-saving support. When a crossing previously opened up between Egypt and Gaza, we were able to reach children across the region through a coordinated regional effort with local partners. This included our teams based in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, together with our partner organisations in Gaza.
So far, in Gaza Plan International has helped to provide:
- Over 18,000 families with food support
- Cash assistance to almost 1,200 households
- Over 10,000 people with health, hygiene and dignity kits
- Winter packages for children including 500 blankets, almost 600 sets of winter clothes, and 650 winterisation kits.
Plan International and our partners are ready to expand our humanitarian operations, but we need full, unhindered access for humanitarian workers and supplies. It is vital that the UN and trusted humanitarian agencies are now given immediate and unconditional access allowing critical supplies to enter Gaza at scale. We need border crossings opened without delay or conditions.
We hope news of the ceasefire agreement will be followed by a permanent and sustainable ceasefire that allows Gaza’s children to live, heal and dream again, and finally allows the release of all hostages.
‘I’m a refugee in a school’
“I spend my days in a school. I am a refugee in a school run by the UN,” says 14-year-old Suhad from Gaza.
Suhad and her family were forced to shelter in a school after fleeing for their lives:
“After the attack, our house was bombed, my father’s workplace was bombed. Our neighbourhood was bombed. We saw that half our teachers were gone. Many people were killed, some of my friends were killed.
“My message to the world is that they look on us with mercy. We are children and our rights are being denied to us.”
Please donate to the Gaza - Children’s Emergency Appeal to help girls in conflict like Suhad.
Red Line For Gaza
Destroying children’s futures is a red line.
Plan International is a member of Red Line For Gaza, a mass campaign bringing together voices of individuals and organisations to end the violence in Gaza.
The campaign aims to encourage MPs to take meaningful action for the people of Gaza by sending them as many messages as possible each week.
It’s easy to take part and every message counts. Find out more about the campaign on Red Line for Gaza’s website and see how you can get involved.
Any donations received that exceed what is needed for this emergency will be held in reserve to respond wherever the need is greatest. Thank you for your generosity.
Banner image: Mother and child amid the tents in Rafah, southern Gaza. Credit: Terre des hommes.
*Note to readers: The crisis in Gaza and the Middle East continues to evolve each day. This page reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publishing.