Gaza – According to staff working for SOS Children’s Villages, a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people who are at risk of losing parental care, children under the care of SOS Children’s Villages in Gaza are facing severe respiratory problems and flu due to the dust caused by ongoing bombardment. This issue is especially prevalent among children under the age of one.
SOS Children’s Villages has been operating in Gaza and the West Bank since 1968. In May 2024, the residential homes run by the organization in Rafah had to be evacuated due to heavy bombardment. Later that year, these homes were destroyed, leaving vulnerable children permanently displaced.
These same children are now living in SOS Children’s Villages encampments in Khan Younis, where bombs have been reported to land as close as 800 meters away from their temporary accommodation. With the increasing lack of clarity around humanitarian zones in Gaza, children are at a higher risk than ever before.
Since the conflict began, an estimated 15,613 children have lost their lives and more than a million are in need of mental health and psycho-social support. Along with the immediate dangers of injury, malnutrition, and death, SOS Children’s Villages is now bringing attention to the long-term health effects of constant bombardment on children in Gaza. The organization’s staff in Gaza has reported little awareness of the risk of asbestos in local communities, with many families being forced to live in the rubble of their destroyed homes.
The Programme Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Gaza, stated, “Our children, especially those under one year old, are consistently suffering from respiratory problems and severe flu due to the dust caused by the bombardment. Even those who are not in close proximity to the bombing are still exposed to the dust, which pollutes our air, our belongings, our food, and the atmosphere around us.”
The team has also noticed an increase in illnesses such as acute respiratory infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pneumonia. The ongoing conflict, combined with air pollution from dust and debris, has contributed to the rise of these conditions. Additionally, the lack of access to adequate healthcare and overcrowded shelters have further exacerbated these respiratory issues.
Children are disproportionately affected by the conflict in Gaza. SOS Children’s Villages is calling for a permanent ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza to ensure that children are not forced to bear the brunt of this ongoing conflict.
As of 21 May 2025, OCHA has reported that an estimated 15,613 children have lost their lives since the conflict began. For more information on the destruction of the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah, please visit https://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/evacuated-sos-childrens-village-in-gaza-destroyed/. Some children were evacuated from the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah to the West Bank, while others were moved to the Khan Younis camp. Personal stories from children living in the Khan Younis camp can be found here: https://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/no-good-left-in-gaza-the-real-stories-of-children-impacted-by-war/.
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