In brief
This article delves into the harrowing realities faced by children growing up in war zones, spotlighting the case of 11-year-old Abdelrahman from Gaza. The narrative illustrates his traumatic experiences following air strikes that claimed his father's life and led to his own hospitalization and amputation, showcasing the long-term psychological effects of conflict on youth. It highlights the need for stable environments and supportive care for children affected by violence and trauma.
Content warning: this article includes details about the impact of conflict on children in war zones and descriptions of injuries that some readers may find distressing.
The first thing was that Abdelrahman's dad was killed. The family home was struck by an Israeli air strike. The boy's mum, Asma al-Nashash, 29, remembers that they brought him out in pieces.
Then on 16 July 2024, an air strike hit the school in Nuseirat, central Gaza. Eleven-year-old Abdelrahman was seriously wounded. Doctors had to amputate his leg.
His mental state began to deteriorate. He started pulling his hair and hitting himself hard, Asma recalls. He became like someone who has depression, seeing his friends playing and running around… and he's sitting alone.
When I meet Abdelrahman at a hospital in Jordan in May 2025, he is withdrawn and wary. Dozens of children have been evacuated to the Kingdom from Gaza for medical treatment.
We will return to Gaza, he tells me. We will die there.
Abdelrahman is one of thousands of traumatised children I've met in my nearly four decades of reporting on conflicts. Certain faces are embedded in my memory.
Some as though I had only met them yesterday. They reflect the depth of terror inflicted on children in our time.
Figures underscore the sheer scale of the crisis. In 2024, 520 million children were living in conflict zones - one in every five children worldwide, according to an analysis by the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
Prof Theresa Betancourt, author of Shadows into Light, a book about former child soldiers, calls this the largest humanitarian disaster since World War Two. She warns trauma has an impact that lasts long into the future.
In the case of Abdelrahman, the presence of a supportive environment and timely medical intervention could potentially alter his trajectory.
This narrative highlights not only the immediate risks of growing up in a war zone but also the long-term mental and emotional toll it exacts on children like Abdelrahman. As the world looks towards rebuilding efforts, the story of these children must remain at the forefront of discussions to ensure that their needs are prioritized.
