ICSPR: New Research Warns of the Complete Collapse of the Child Protection System Inside Shelter Centers in the Gaza Strip
Sunday, 9 November 2025
Press Release
ICSPR: New Research Warns of the Complete Collapse of the Child Protection System Inside Shelter Centers in the Gaza Strip
The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR) has issued a new research study titled: “Child Protection in Conflict Areas and Shelter Centers in the Gaza Strip”, prepared by a specialized research team that includes: Dr. Imad Al-Helou – Director of Capital Shelter Centers / Nuseirat – Camp (2), Dr. Khalil Ali Abu Jarad – Ministry of Education, PhD in Educational Psychology, and Mr. Omar Jaber Na’im – Social Specialist and Researcher. The study aims to shed light on the reality of child protection within shelter centers, in light of the ongoing aggression and blockade, and the resulting mass displacement and loss of safety and stability.
The study confirmed that childhood in the Gaza Strip is facing one of the largest humanitarian crises in modern history, as the number of displaced children inside shelter centers exceeded 850,000 children, amid severe overcrowding, lack of privacy, and shortage of basic services. UN reports also indicate that more than 16,150 children have been killed and more than 34,000 injured since the beginning of the aggression, in addition to a shocking educational loss rate of 78% of all students, which threatens the psychological and cognitive development of an entire generation.
The study illustrated that the environment inside shelter centers directly affects the psychological and behavioral health of children; 85% suffer from anxiety and night terrors, 62% show aggressive behavior, 47% suffer from social withdrawal, 39% suffer from involuntary urination among the younger age group, and 71% have poor concentration. Researchers classified these indicators as clear manifestations of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), caused by continuous exposure to violence and loss of safety.
The researchers stressed that the community child protection system in Gaza is facing a severe collapse, as shelter centers do not meet the minimum standard of basic child rights such as: food, clean water, safe housing, privacy, security, education, and healthcare. Dr. Khalil Abu Jarad noted that the absence of educational and recreational activities leads to long-term cognitive deterioration. Dr. Imad Al-Helou explained that overcrowding inside shelters prevents effective individual psychological interventions. Mr. Omar Na’im highlighted that the economic pressure caused by the blockade generates family stress which reflects directly on children’s behavior.
The study added that the continued closure of crossings and preventing the entry of supplies and fuel have caused the deterioration of health services and severe shortages in food and drinking water. This forced shelter centers to rely on irregular aid that does not meet actual needs, while thousands of cases require urgent psychological interventions and cognitive behavioral therapy to address accumulated trauma.
The International Commission (ICSPR) called for strengthening psychosocial support programs inside shelter centers, activating child-friendly spaces, reintegrating children into emergency education programs, and improving infrastructure, shelter conditions, and basic services. The Commission also urged for the immediate lifting of the blockade and the opening of crossings to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and to ensure the regular flow of relief, educational and psychological support supplies, in order to protect an entire generation threatened with the loss of psychological, cognitive, and human security.
