In Gaza City, 35-year-old mother Faten Nabhan struggles to provide her six school-age children with enjoyable or educational activities during their summer holidays. Instead of the usual summer camps and games, the children spend their days performing essential survival tasks such as collecting water from trucks, bringing food from communal kitchens, and gathering firewood.
Since October 2023, when Israel's war on Gaza began, more than 73,000 people—including thousands of children—have died, and the majority of the enclave's buildings have been damaged or destroyed, displacing most of the population. Palestinians in Gaza are now focused on survival rather than leisure.
Faten expressed the lack of resources available for children’s development: “We have ideas… summer is a time for unleashing energy and developing children’s skills, but the resources simply don’t exist. There are no resources, no supplies at all… no toys, no notebooks, no crayons… not even paper and a pen.”
She also highlighted the psychological impact of the situation, noting that "Organised group activities during the vacation build intelligence, emotional development, cooperation, and bonding, while prolonged confinement in the tent, with no outlet, builds up tension that sometimes turns into aggression and fighting among the siblings themselves.”
“This is my children’s routine every day… this is all they do,” Faten said, underscoring the harsh reality facing Gaza’s children this summer.
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