Gaza conflict: how children’s lives are affected on every level
It’s been 18 years since the then Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, moved all Israel’s settlers and military personnel out of the Gaza Strip.
- It’s been 18 years since the then Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, moved all Israel’s settlers and military personnel out of the Gaza Strip.
- The country’s official narrative then became that they were no longer an occupying force.
- But two years later, following the election of Hamas, the Israeli government imposed a blockade on the entire Gaza Strip.
- So today’s 18-year-olds have suffered in a state of privation for pretty much their whole lives.
The toll of war
- Within the densely populated Gaza Strip, the health needs of children have grown exponentially due to the conditions of the Israeli blockade.
- In the aftermath of each war, Israel has tightened access to Gaza via the main commercial crossing for construction materials, generators and water.
- A report conducted by the UN Environment Programme following the 2008-9 war highlighted the serious health issues due to the debris that would particularly affect children.
Crumbling infrastructure
- Blockade has also made it impossible to develop vitally needed infrastructure.
- The provision of clean water and adequate sewage and waste disposal requires massive investment to meet the needs of the population.
- Meanwhile, the electricity shortages and shortage of sanitation structures mean that the sea in Gaza is highly contaminated by sewage and poorly treated wastewater.
- With very few safe public play spaces for children, the beach is one place that many have turned to for relief.