Over 14,000 children have been killed. Without lifesaving support, which is desperately close across the border, more children will die as Gaza edges on the brink of famine.
The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Since the violence escalated on 7 October 2023, thousands of children have been killed or injured, taken hostage, separated from their parents and loved ones – a whole barrage of atrocities, inflicted on the most vulnerable. Every child in the Gaza Strip has been exposed to deeply distressing events and trauma marked by widespread destruction, relentless attacks, displacement, and severe shortages of essential necessities such as food, water, and medicine.
Children in northern Gaza who have survived unimaginable war atrocities, are now dying of starvation and dehydration. They are being deprived of food, water and health care while facing a looming famine.
Over 1.7 million people have become internally displaced, around half of them children, and many have sought refuge in overcrowded shelters with extremely limited access to water, sanitation and hygiene – conditions that are especially dangerous for young children.
No place is safe for a child while intense fighting and hostilities continue. UNICEF is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and for all parties to unconditionally protect children from harm, in accordance with human rights law.
Children of Gaza Crisis
Children are paying the heaviest price as the violence and fighting continue; please donate today to help protect children in Gaza.
How is UNICEF responding in Gaza?
Despite the challenging humanitarian and security situation, UNICEF and partners are actively present in the Gaza Strip to provide immediate lifesaving humanitarian support, including delivering medical supplies, ready-to-eat food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits, bottled water, fuel for the operation of critical Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation (WASH) facilities, water treatment essentials, and mental health and psychosocial support. UNICEF efforts also encompass closely monitoring grave child rights violations and providing child-sensitive humanitarian cash assistance.
Learn more about UNICEF's work in the Gaza crisis.
How is UNICEF helping children in Israel?
How will my donation help children in Gaza?
Even in the face of an escalating crisis, UNICEF continues to deliver for every child, no matter what.
- $90 could provide 18,000 water purification tablets, each able to create up to 5 litres of clean drinking water.
- $160 could help provide 304 sachets of lifesaving therapeutic food.
- $311 could help deliver a school-in-a-box with enough education supplies to keep 40 students learnings.
- 82¢last year, 82 cents of every dollar donated went to our emergency response work in the field and helped us to be there for children before, during and after emergencies around the world.
- 18¢last year, 18 cents in every dollar were invested in raising public awareness; fundraising to grow our impact for children and in essential accountability and administration work.
How do we use each dollar donated?
Your gift will support children impacted by this emergency, and crisis around the world. If you choose to donate monthly or should we receive more funds than is needed for this emergency, your gift will support UNICEF's work where the need is greatest. Find out more about our financial management in our annual report.
Looking for other ways to support children in the Gaza Crisis?
Is UNICEF helping children in Israel?
No matter where they live, a child is a child. UNICEF is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and for the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of all abducted children, and the prevention and end to any grave violations against children, including killing and injuring children.
In high-income countries like Israel, governments generally have adequate capacity and resources to respond to emergencies. In these countries, UNICEF programs are not required unless requested by the Government, which Israel has not requested.
This UNICEF Australia appeal is specifically for children in Gaza where UNICEF has teams and programs.
Our work to protect and advocate for all children across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank will continue. Every single child, no matter who or where they are, must be protected.
To learn more about the work we do in Israel, please visit: https://www.unicef.org.il/en/faq/
Top image: A seven-year-old girl stands in her neighbourhood in the Gaza Strip where homes were levelled to the ground in recent airstrikes. Photo Credit: © UNICEF/UNI448902/Ajjour
Fundraising image: An 11-year-old boy's home in Gaza City was partially damaged during recent airstrikes. Photo credit: © UNICEF/UNI448937/Ajjour
Philanthropy image: A 14-year-old boy carries mattresses and blankets on his head while his family follows him to an emergency shelter in the Gaza Strip. Photo credit: © UNICEF/UNI448940/El Baba