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STORY: GAZA / CHILDREN LIVES
TRT: 06:15
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 25 MARCH 2025, JABALIA REFUGEE CAMP, NORTH OF THE GAZA STRIP
1. Various shots, a street in Jabalia Refugee Camp, north of the Gaza Strip
2. Various shots, children playing football in a street in Jabalia Camp, next to destroyed homes
3. Various shots, a Palestinian child attempting to pass through the ruins of his destroyed home
4. Various shots, children peeking through a hole caused by shelling in one of the UNRWA schools in Jabalia Camp, north of Gaza
5. Various shots, children standing on the roof of their destroyed home, looking at the rubble left by the war
6. Various shots, Mohammed Hameed checking his mobile phone, looking at pictures of his son, "Aseel," who passed away after falling from their destroyed home
7. Various shots, Mohammed Hameed standing on the roof of his destroyed home in Jabalia Camp, north of Gaza
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Hameed:
"My son was at home; he went up to the roof with his mother but fell from here, from the second floor. He suffered a brain hemorrhage and stayed in the intensive care unit for 14 days. On March 22, 2025, my son Aseel passed away at the age of four. He had no fault in this war. Many children have been killed. We call upon all the nations of the world and all countries with mercy and humanity to let us live like other children in the world."
9. Various shots, Palestinian children walking through the rubble of destroyed homes in a daily recurring scene
10. Wide shot, a tent erected by residents on the ruins of their destroyed home in Jabalia Camp, north of Gaza
11. Various shots, Mohammed Thaher sitting with his friends on the rubble of destroyed homes in Jabalia Camp, north of Gaza
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Thaher:
"There is no place for us to play; everything here is rubble. We can't play, and there is nothing to entertain us. We are afraid of falling or having stones collapse on us and getting hurt. Hospitals are not operating well to care for people. We can't play or do anything. We don't know what to do in this place."
13. Various shots, children wandering amidst the rubble of destroyed homes in Jabalia Camp, north of Gaza
14. Various shots, Ibrahim Abu Aida and his children working to restore their destroyed home in Jabalia Refugee Camp, north of Gaza
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim Abu Aida:
"Look at the pillars of the house; they are all deteriorating and will collapse. They are unfit for living or any kind of life. The house is burned, and two days ago, there was bombing half a kilometer away, shaking the house and causing stones to fall on us. Yesterday, two pillars of the house collapsed here. We fear for our children. We don’t know what to do or where to go. The roads are blocked, and we can't move through the rubble."
16. Various shots, Palestinians walking among the ruins
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Asaad Abu Aida:
"We face many dangers and fear for our children. We are afraid that the rain and wind will affect the houses and cause them to collapse. When we walk, we worry about our children. Look at these bombed houses; this roof is destroyed, and we fear it will collapse on us as we pass. My son Mohammed and my nephew—we fear for them. As you can see, we have cleared a path through the rubble to be able to move, get water, food, and firewood. Life is extremely difficult."
18. Various shots, Palestinian children walking through the rubble of destroyed homes
Children in Gaza endure harrowing conditions amid the ruins left by the ongoing war, as residential neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, posing a constant threat to their lives and depriving them of a normal childhood.
Palestinian local reports confirm that many children have lost their lives due to collapsing destroyed homes or falling debris while playing nearby. Among these victims was Asil Humaid, a young boy who fell from the remains of his family’s destroyed home, battling severe injuries for days before succumbing to his wounds.
His father, Mohammed Humaid, recounts the tragedy, “Asil was at home and went up to the roof with his mother. He fell from the second floor, suffering a brain hemorrhage.”
He continues, “He spent 14 days in intensive care, and on March 22, 2025, he passed away at the age of four. He had no fault in this war. So many children have been killed. We call on the world, on anyone with compassion and humanity, to let us live like other children in the world.”
Beyond the dangers of rubble, Gaza's children are deprived of their most basic right to play, as destruction has engulfed most residential areas.
Young Mohammed Thahir said, "There is nowhere to play. Everywhere is filled with rubble. We fear falling or having stones collapse on us and getting hurt. Even hospitals don’t function properly to treat the injured. We don’t know what to do in this country."
As the war persists, UN experts warn that nearly all of Gaza’s one million children are suffering from “severe psychological trauma” amid acute food shortages.
James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, highlighted that children who experience such trauma can only begin to recover when they return to a stable life. He said, “Psychologists used to say our greatest nightmare was children returning home, only for the war to start again.”
The 16-month-long war has left behind unprecedented levels of destruction. UN estimates indicate that the amount of debris has reached 51 million tons, while 60 per cent of Gaza’s homes - approximately 292,000 houses - have been destroyed, along with 65 per cent of the roads, making life in Gaza nearly unlivable.
