More than 20,000 children – Gaza’s young lives are vanishing amid war and famine

On 6 September 2025, Save the Children announced a chilling number: in nearly 23 months of conflict, at least 20,000 children in Gaza have been killed. The report states that on average, one child has died every hour during this period.

This figure is already staggering – but it is likely an undercount. Many children are still missing, buried beneath the rubble, or unrecorded. Some independent analysts and humanitarian sources suggest the real death toll among children could be significantly higher.

The count is already grim – and may be too low.

Save the Children’s report shares more detail: about 2 % of Gaza’s child population has died in this war. The figures include 1,009 children under the age of one, nearly half of them born during the war and already lost. Over 42,011 children are recorded as injured, and 21,000 children are estimated to live with permanent disabilities. The report also notes that thousands more remain missing or presumed buried under debris.

In a conflict where entire neighbourhoods are flattened and rescue operations are dangerous or impossible, many bodies may never be recovered or identified. The chaos, lack of access, and continuing bombardment all impede accurate counting. In short: the 20,000 figure may reflect only the known, confirmed losses – not the full scale of tragedy.

Those hidden victims include children trapped under collapsed buildings, families unable to retrieve remains, and populations cut off from reporting. Even in calmer settings, accurate casualty accounting is difficult; here, it is nearly impossible.

Famine: the silent killer among children

Death from bombs is devastating. But another death toll is rising quietly: starvation and malnutrition.

On 22 August 2025, official data confirmed that famine had now taken hold in Gaza.  Save the Children warned that this crisis is only beginning – and that it will deepen severely in the weeks ahead.

Their findings are stark:

• At least 132,000 children under five are now at risk of death from acute malnutrition.
• Even before famine was declared, 135 children were reported to have already died of starvation, including 20 children since famine took effect.
• The worsening food insecurity stems from blockades, destruction of agriculture, disrupted supply lines, and restricted humanitarian access – all of which make it impossible to sustain populations.

As famine spreads, the effects are not uniform. Northern Gaza is already most severely affected; as people are displaced southwards, southern and central areas may face skyrocketing humanitarian pressure. Many displaced families already live in overcrowded shelters, lacking nutrition, clean water, sanitation, and medical care.

What must be done

These twin tragedies – mass child deaths and famine – are interconnected. Bombing destroys infrastructure, flattens homes, and blocks roads. That destruction disrupts food systems, medical supply chains, water, and aid delivery. Meanwhile, famine weakens children, making them less able to survive injuries or disease.

For the children of Gaza, the war is already a catastrophe. The famine turns it into a generational disaster.

To respond:

• Open humanitarian access immediately and without conditions. Supply lines must reach all areas, especially the north, to prevent further starvation.
• Protect medical and rescue operations so that bodies can be retrieved, identified, and mourned – and so that the missing may yet be found.
• Scale up child nutrition programmes including therapeutic feeding, supplementary feeding, maternal support and vaccination programmes.
• Monitor and document casualties with international oversight, to press for accountability and prevent future denial.
• Advocate with governments – especially in the UK and Europe – to demand that arms exports, political backing, and diplomatic pressure align with protecting children and stopping famine.

In Rafah, Khan Younis, Beit Lahia or Gaza City, children are dying every hour – some from bombs, some from hunger. Every number represents a child’s life, a family’s grief, and a future stolen.

At IF Charity, we refuse to let this generation be forgotten. We must act, now.

Learn more about our Gaza Emergency Appeal here, our Education & Survival programme, or check out our recent blogs on our ongoing food distribution in Gaza and our effort to supply fresh vegetables here.