Humanitarian Needs In Gaza Do Not Stop With The Ceasefire
Published: Jan 23, 2025 Reading time: 4 minutes
People in Need (PIN), alongside other humanitarian organisations, welcomes the 15 January 2025 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, while acknowledging significant uncertainties regarding its implementation and sustainability, including ceasefire maintenance, hostage release, and humanitarian access in Gaza. It is crucial to acknowledge that humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip, including protection, will demand significant attention irrespective of political developments. The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached catastrophic proportions and represents arguably the highest concentration of humanitarian needs and human suffering globally. People, especially children and others in urgent need, in the Gaza Strip still need our help. Through our support of the War Child Alliance organisation, children and their families get much-needed psychological first aid.
Together with other humanitarian organisations, we joined ICVA Collective NGO Statement: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/collective-ngo-statement-israel-hamas-ceasefire
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA)*, at least 48,200 people have been killed, including over 46,600 Palestinians and 1,600 Israelis and foreign nationals, since 7 October 2023.[1] More than 110,000 people have been injured. At least 14,000 children [2] have reportedly been killed, with thousands more injured. The current conflict has devastated the region with unprecedented intensity, forcing large-scale population displacement (90% of the Gaza population is internally displaced). The impact permeates every aspect of civilian existence - the healthcare system struggles to function, schools have closed, basic sanitation has broken down, homes lie in ruins, and economic activity has ground to a halt. According to UN OCHA reports from December 2024, the entire population of Gaza (2.1 million people) currently needs urgent humanitarian assistance.[3] Access to vital services in the Gaza Strip has severely deteriorated amid heightened protection risks and wreaking havoc on critical infrastructure.
The Gaza population faces profound trauma as civilians die, face severe injuries, endure forced displacement, loss of dignity and identity, and witness extreme violence against family members, creating deep and lasting psychological wounds.[4]
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs has declared the Gaza Strip "unfit for human survival" [5] amid a critical shortage of essential resources and the collapse of public services.
Urgent need for psychological aid
Even after the Ceasefire, the urgent need for psychological support among people and children in Gaza will persist. According to UNICEF, "1.2 million children are in urgent need of mental health and psychosocial support for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts". While schools often provide an entry point for the provision of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children and their caregivers, in the Gaza Strip, that is not currently possible, as schools are closed for the second year. These closures leave an estimated "658,000 school-aged children in the Gaza Strip [out of school], in addition to 57,000 children who should have been enrolled in first grade".[6] Furthermore, 95% of schools are estimated to have been damaged or destroyed, so children will not be able to return to their classes even after the ceasefire is in place.
Temporary, child-friendly learning spaces, called community-led initiatives (CLIs), have been established to provide psychosocial support until children can return to formal schooling.
Partnership with War Child Alliance
Throughout 2024, PIN has been supporting its partner, War Child Alliance, to deliver psychosocial support and psychological first aid to children and their families in the Gaza Strip. War Child Alliance is a globally recognised leader in child protection, education, and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Together, we create safe spaces for children's psychosocial support including psychological first aid, while also providing the psychological first aid to their caregivers, helping both children and adults cope with traumatic experiences.
We have been supporting the War Child Alliance organisation since January 2024, and as of September last year, we have helped 7,544 children. 3,034 children and 1,621 adults received psychological first aid, and 2,899 children participated in recreational activities. Over 600 children received equipment for recreational activities. PIN's private collections through its Club of Friends and SOS Gaza public collection funded this humanitarian intervention. Next month, we will release the complete numbers achieved since September.
Expanding our assistance in Gaza
Leveraging our experience providing education during emergencies, we are exploring ways to expand our programmes in Gaza. We intend to support psychosocial well-being and enhance the protection and resilience of at-risk children, caregivers, and communities in the Gaza Strip by providing psychosocial support and humanitarian assistance.
We announced the SOS Gaza collection
We began providing aid for the people of Gaza last January when we donated €100,000 to War Child Alliance. This international organisation helps children living in war conflicts around the world. We work with the organisation in Ukraine and other countries as well.
In April 2024, we opened the SOS Gaza fundraiser, where donors can contribute to account number 62621515/0300.
* Numbers may differ in different sources due to lack of access and different methodologies.
Sources:(1) ICVA Collective NGO Statement: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire, January 2025, and Humanitarian Situation Update #255, UN OCHA | Gaza Strip
(2) Flash Appeal OPT, UN OCHA, December 2024
(3) Flash Appeal OPT, UN OCHA, December 2024
(4) Flash Appeal OPT, UN OCHA, December 2024
(5) Conditions in Gaza 'unfit for human survival,' acting UN relief chief tells Security Council, OCHA, November 2024.
(6) Flash Appeal OPT, UN OCHA, December 2024
