Winter distress: Children in Syria and Gaza urgently need help

Winter distress: Children in Syria and Gaza urgently need help

Amid the onset of winter and escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the situation for children and families in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon is becoming increasingly catastrophic. According to SOS Children's Villages, those affected urgently need support to survive the appalling humanitarian conditions. For this purpose, targeted aid measures are used, which include both humanitarian support and psychological and educational offers. Aid is particularly important in Syria, where many emergency aid programs are continuing despite security risks. Numerous families in Aleppo are receiving support through an emergency aid program that was set up after the devastating earthquake in March 2023. Managing director Samer Khaddam emphasizes the importance of family reunification when refugees are able to return and ensures that the safety of children is the top priority.

Refugee camp in Gaza under pressure

The situation in central Gaza is alarming, particularly for the more than 30 refugee children living in a makeshift camp that just became untenable after an attack on a refugee camp in Khan Younis on December 4. Many tents are damaged and the necessary relief supplies, including food and heating materials, are becoming increasingly scarce. Christian Moser, managing director of SOS Children's Villages, criticizes the attacks on humanitarian safety zones and speaks out urgently for the protection of children. The staff on site do everything they can to make the camp's structures winter-proof to ensure that the children are protected when temperatures fall.

The situation in Lebanon is similarly worrying. Ghada Hachem, director of SOS Children's Villages Lebanon, describes the unpredictable security situation that deeply traumatizes children. After the evacuation of the SOS Children's Village Ksarnaba, children and staff are in a safe area, but continue to be affected by the horrors of the conflict. Hachem appeals to the global community to provide urgent support to ensure a peaceful future for the children affected.

"The extent of the suffering is unimaginable! We urgently need help to offer protection, warmth and security to children in war zones," warns Moser and emphasizes that every contribution can be decisive. In the various SOS Children's Villages programs worldwide, over 1,385,800 people in acute need are already supported, which shows that an aid organization like SOS Children's Villages can have far-reaching positive effects; more information can be found on the website SOS Children's Villages to find out.