ONE CHILD EVERY HOUR IS BEING KILLED IN GAZA. PLEASE READ! This just came in from my friend Justin Forsyth from SAVE THE CHILDREN: I know you will have been horrified by the news that a UN school in Gaza has been bombed, killing 15 people and injuring 200 – most of them women and children sheltering from the fighting. This latest horror comes after three weeks of bombardment and intense conflict. The death toll increases every hour, but at the time of writing this to you, 789 Palestinians have been killed. 1 in 4 of these is a child – more than 185 of them. One child an hour in recent days. Civilians make up more than 70% of the death toll, and nearly as many children as combatants have been killed. These aren’t just shocking statistics, they are an outrage. Gaza is tiny. I’ve been there – it’s smaller than the Isle of Wight, with 10x the population. It takes just over an hour to drive from one side to the other. This whole length of Gaza is being bombed. That means that when families are told to flee the bombs, there is nowhere safe to go. Rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel must stop too. Israeli and Palestinian children both need protection. Our teams are in Gaza, distributing medical supplies and essential items for families, and providing psychosocial support to traumatized children, but more must be done. Even before this crisis, the children of Gaza faced enormous challenges. One in ten children are stunted, their families unable to afford the basic fruit and vegetables that will help them to physically and mentally develop. Teachers face overcrowded classrooms, with children eager to learn. But there aren’t enough classrooms for them – the UN said then that they needed 230 more schools to accommodate Gaza’s children. 116 schools have now been destroyed or damaged in this fighting - I don’t know how many will be left standing after this conflict subsides. A ceasefire is a critical next step, but it’s not enough to secure a safe and peaceful future for children in Gaza and Israel. The blockade must be lifted, and a lasting resolution must be found. For more information and how you can help Justin and his incredible organization go to their website savethechildren.org.uk/
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 01:41:49 +0000
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