Education advocate Malala Yousafzai is stepping up to ensure that a generation of Palestinian children does not miss out on school.
The Malala Fund founder announced on Thursday that she is donating a total of $150,000 to support Palestinian families as they begin to recover from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following the latest escalation in violence and 11 days of Israeli airstrikes that ended in a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on May 21.
The most recent conflict left 66 children from Palestine and two from Israel dead, while hundreds suffered injuries. Infrastructure has been severely damaged in Gaza, including six hospitals, nine clinics, and 50 schools. Water shortages and electricity blackouts have also devastated the Palestinian territory and increased the threat of COVID-19 in the region.
Two-thirds of people were already hungry before the attacks and now food insecurity has worsened. At least 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced and the high poverty rate is only expected to surge.
Yousafzai, the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize, has experienced the toll that conflict and crisis can take on a child firsthand after being shot by the Taliban in 2012 for promoting girls' education. She has since dedicated her life to paying it forward and will contribute $100,000 to Save the Children, an international children’s organization; $25,000 to KinderUSA, a charity dedicated to the health and well-being of Palestinian children; and $25,000 to DCI Palestine, an organization committed to Palestinian children’s rights.
“Like many others around the world, I am devastated by the brutality and inhumanity against Palestinian children,” Yousafzai said in a Save the Children press release. “They deserve to live in peace, to feel safe in their homes, to be educated and to pursue their dreams — just like any other child. I hope these gifts will help them return to school and start the process of rebuilding their lives. I want Palestinian children to know that I stand with them and believe in their future.”
“I pray for a lasting peace in the region and call on leaders to protect every child’s fundamental rights,” Yousafzai said.
Yousafzai’s donation to Save the Children will help repair damaged schools, provide clean water and food vouchers, support children’s mental health and well-being, and provide nutrition services for pregnant women and new mothers.
Before the escalation in violence, a high percentage of children in Gaza showed psychological distress symptoms such as depression, hyperactivity, aggression, and a preference for solitude, according to Jason Lee, Save the Children’s country director in Palestine.
The most recent conflict will only exacerbate these trauma-related issues, Lee warned.
Palestinian children deserve to live in peace, to feel safe in their homes, to be educated and to pursue their dreams. I'm proud to stand with them and support them. Please join me in donating to: @savechildrenuk, @KinderUSA and @DCIPalestine.https://t.co/W2MTnYoFXU
— Malala (@Malala) May 27, 2021
“While we welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza, it isn’t enough as Palestinian children are still denied their fundamental rights,” he said. “Children have told us they imagine a world where they have equal rights and live in peace and security. We owe it to future generations to do everything we can to make this a reality.”