Children in Gaza Suffering from Respiratory Problems and Severe Flu Due to Bombardment, Says SOS Children’s Villages Staff
Monday 2 June, 2025 – Children under the care of SOS Children’s Villages in Gaza are enduring devastating health consequences as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region.
According to staff working in Gaza for SOS Children’s Villages, the world’s largest charity focused on supporting children and young people who don’t have, or are at risk of losing, parental care, the children in their care are “consistently suffering from respiratory problems and severe flu due to the dust caused by the bombardment”. The most vulnerable are those aged under one year old.
SOS Children’s Villages has been operating in Gaza and the West Bank since 1968, providing vital support to children who have lost or are at risk of losing their parental care. However, the recent escalation of violence in the region has had a devastating impact on the children in their care.
In May 2024, the residential homes run by SOS Children’s Villages in Rafah had to be evacuated due to heavy bombardment. Later that year, these homes were reduced to rubble, leaving the already vulnerable children permanently displaced.
Currently, these same children are living in SOS Children’s Villages encampments in Khan Younis, with bombs landing as close as 800 metres away from their temporary accommodation. The increasing lack of clarity around humanitarian zones in Gaza puts them at even greater risk.
The ongoing conflict has already claimed the lives of an estimated 15,613 children, and more than a million are estimated to need mental health and psycho-social support.¹
In addition to the immediate risk of injury, malnutrition, and death, SOS Children’s Villages is now raising the alarm about the long-term health impact of constant bombardment on children in Gaza. Staff on the ground have reported little awareness of the risk of asbestos in local communities, with many families forced to live in the rubble of their former homes.
The Programme Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Gaza stated, “On the ground in Gaza, particularly in our camp, our children, especially those under one year old, are consistently suffering from respiratory problems and severe flu due to the dust caused by the bombardment.”
The children in the temporary camp in Khan Younis are exposed to the dust even if there is distance between them and the bombardment location. The Programme Director explained, “We inside the camp have experienced this many times, affected by the dust of bombardment a few kilometers away from us. It pollutes our air, our belongings, our food, and the atmosphere around us.”
The SOS Children’s Villages team have also noticed an increase in illnesses such as acute respiratory infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pneumonia.
“The ongoing conflict, coupled with air pollution from dust and debris, has contributed to the rise in these conditions,” continued the Programme Director. “Furthermore, the lack of adequate healthcare access and the overcrowded shelters have only exacerbated these respiratory issues.”
Children are disproportionally affected by the conflict in Gaza, and SOS Children’s Villages is calling for a permanent ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza to ensure that children do not have to continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.
In 2024, the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah was destroyed due to heavy bombardment.² While some children were evacuated to an SOS Children’s Village in the West Bank,³ those who could not be evacuated were moved to the Khan Younis camp.⁴
Personal stories from the children living in the Khan Younis camp can be found on the SOS Children’s Villages website.⁵
1. Figures from OCHA as of 21 May 2025: Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (21 May 2025) | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Occupied Palestinian Territory
2. More on the destruction of the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah: https://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/evacuated-sos-childrens-village-in-gaza-destroyed/
3. A number of children were evacuated from the SOS Children’s Village in Rafah, in Gaza, to an SOS Children’s Village in the West Bank: https://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/rescue-from-rafah-three-months-after-their-evacuation-children-adapt-to-new-life/ Those that could not be evacuated were moved to the Khan Younis camp.
4. You can read personal stories from children living in the Khan Younis camp, here: https://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/no-good-left-in-gaza-the-real-stories-of-children-impacted-by-war/
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.