SOS Children's Village Rafah completely destroyed

The SOS Children's Village Rafah in Gaza has been completely destroyed. After the ceasefire was declared, the first opportunity was taken on site to get an idea of the situation. The sight is disturbing: the former homes have been razed to the ground by the earthquake. The entire village has to be rebuilt.

The SOS Children's Village Rafah was evacuated in May 2024 after it became increasingly dangerous for the 33 children and staff to stay there. Although explicitly designated as a humanitarian center, bomb blasts had at times come within 200 meters of the SOS Children's Village. A photo from 2021 shows the SOS Children's Village Rafah as a place of safety for children in need. In contrast, recent photos document the destruction.

There is great hope everywhere that the ceasefire will hold and lead to lasting peace. But even then, the children in Gaza will still need help for a long time to come. There is a lack of everything: food, shelter, medical care and psychological support. Roads, water and electricity supplies, homes, hospitals and schools were also destroyed during the war.

Our colleagues in Gaza are doing everything they can to continue their work in the current situation and continue to support children and families in the emergency camps.