'Why must children pay such a horrendous price?' - Mais Abdel Hadi, Gaza
In a powerful moment, Christian Aid recently delivered letters from children in Gaza to 10 Downing Street. These letters, filled with emotion and urgency, are part of our collective call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to arms sales to Israel, and a condemnation of the de facto annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank.
The letters, from our partner the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), ask the Prime Minister to intervene and help bring about a permanent ceasefire.
Urge the UK government to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, halt the sale of arms to Israel and surge in aid and unfettered access to Gaza
Heartfelt pleas from Gaza’s youth
In her letter, Mais Abdel Hadi, the President of the Palestinian Children’s Council, shares the harsh realities faced by children in Gaza.
‘We live in a constant state of fear and anxiety, with shells accompanying us around the clock,’ Mais writes. ‘Why must we children pay such a horrendous price?’
Mais, 15, is currently displaced with her family in Khan Younis Governorate. They have lost their home and belongings, and Mais notes, ‘psychological wounds worsen, and physical suffering increases.’
Mais continues, highlighting the desperate conditions: 'We wake up every day to the sound of bombs and rockets, with no safe place to seek refuge.
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We wake up every day to the sound of bombs and rockets, with no safe place to seek refuge.
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Hala Abu Saleem, 16, also shares her distress in a letter to the Prime Minister. After her home was severely damaged by bombing, she writes, “I should now be preparing for my final and most important year of school, but instead, I help my mother light the fire to cook what little food we have, food that doesn't even fill us.”
Hala asks, 'Will my hand grow back? Or am I condemned to live without an arm?
'I am not a terrorist to be exterminated. I am not a terrorist for my house to be destroyed and my family killed. I am not a terrorist to live in a tent that is scorching during the day and freezing at night, unfit even for animals!'
These letters from Gazan children offer a glimpse of the horrendous situation there. I hope and pray that the Prime Minister will read and reflect on their words and take swift action to address the crisis.
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Gaza Appeal
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, and as reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and over 85,000 more have been injured since the escalation of violence last October.
The new UK government must take action
While Prime Minister Keir Starmer has set out the ‘clear and urgent need for a ceasefire’, these letters underline the desperate need for an immediate end to hostilities.
We're calling for a statement from Parliament that unequivocally supports upholding international humanitarian law and announces immediate, increased operational support for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
We need your support and urgent intervention to end this tragedy. We demand an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of peace because we, the children of Palestine, deserve to live in safety and peace.
Christian Aid's partners in Gaza
Our local Palestinian partners, including PCHR, are delivering vital aid including food and medical assistance to children, women and men across Gaza. This includes building mobile bathrooms in four shelters and working with local farmers to get fresh vegetables for families who have been forcibly displaced from their homes to escape airstrikes.
'In the most unthinkable circumstances, under bombardment, having been displaced multiple times, their offices destroyed, and friends and family killed, our partners have provided lifesaving shelter, food and medical support to the communities they serve.'
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Our partners are deeply rooted in their communities and have therefore been the first responders to this crisis. Our locally-led approach has meant that people have been supported to help themselves, in the absence of a ceasefire and sufficient aid. However, this must be complemented with an immediate ceasefire to allow a surge in humanitarian aid in Gaza and unfettered access.
Public support for a ceasefire
Recent polling by Savanta, commissioned by the UK charity found six in ten (59%) of Brits believe the new UK Government should call for a ceasefire in Gaza and of them, 60% believe it should happen immediately.
When UK adults read or listen to news reports about the war in Gaza, the same set of polling shows they feel hopeless (20%), anxious (16%) and ashamed (14%). Less than two in five (17%) felt the war did not affect them.
It is imperative for the UK Government to reconsider its stance and take a firm stand against these atrocities. Mais’s heartfelt plea underscores the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the rebuilding of Gaza. The UK must heed these calls and work towards providing the necessary psychological and educational support to help the children of Gaza rebuild their lives and futures.
Urge the UK government to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, halt the sale of arms to Israel and surge in aid and unfettered access to Gaza
