Gaza-Israel: Protect girls now

There are nearly 2.3 billion children around the world — or just under one-third of the global population. They’re our future: future doctors, teachers, leaders, you name it.

But every day, this endless potential dims for millions of children. Challenges due to poverty, hunger, conflict and more keep the youngest people in our world from prosperity and success.

Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Yemen are just a few places where conflict has decimated families’ livelihoods and killed thousands of children. It is estimated that some 400 million children are currently living in war zones or places experiencing violent conflict.

For children who survive, they are often displaced — sometimes without their families beside them — and escape to areas where the need for basics, like food, water and medical care, outweighs available resources. During the month of April, Plan International, in collaboration with Taawon in Gaza, distributed 11,000 hot meals on Ramadan (Iftar) to displaced families in Rafah.

For displaced girls, managing their periods during the conflict is impossible without clean water and menstrual products.  Plan is working with its partner ActionAid to deliver 1,800 health kits to girls and young women in Gaza, which include items like menstrual pads, underwear and dresses.

Children’s education is also disrupted during conflict, causing them to fall behind on their learning and emotional development. Even more, without the ability to go to school, coupled with economic instability, children in conflict areas become vulnerable to trafficking and child marriage. 

Without direct and immediate intervention, children and young people are robbed of their futures, and entire communities are thrust into the cycle of poverty. Plan works directly with those who are most affected by conflict to meet their needs and help them recover for the long term. 

Thank you for your commitment to protecting children — especially girls — and their families during emergencies.