Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights Calls for Immediate Ceasefire to Safeguard Children in Gaza

February 29, 2024

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights expresses deep concern for the unrelenting violence affecting thousands of children in Gaza. We call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all civilian hostages taken on October 7th. In doing so, we hope to alleviate the plight of those children affected by this war, acknowledging that war is a root cause of global migration which forces millions of children and families out of their homes.

We recognize that there are situations around the world, and across the United States, where children experience horrific violence. Our organizational values, including our commitment to being child-centered in all that we do, compel us to speak in this critical moment. While our primary focus is fighting for the fundamental humanity of immigrant children in the U.S., we recognize the importance of standing up for the rights, dignity, liberation, and life of all children.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed or injured in this war. Thousands of them are children. More than 24,000 children have lost one or both parents. UNICEF estimates that at least 17,000 children are now unaccompanied or separated from their parents, and almost all of Gaza’s 1.2 million children need mental health and psychosocial support.

Peace is essential for all children to thrive. As the Young Center, we stand with national and international children’s rights and human rights organizations in calling for an immediate ceasefire to protect the lives of thousands of children in Gaza. We implore the U.S. Government to employ every available tool to bring an end to this war and to save lives.

We have witnessed first the horrific attack by Hamas on children and families in Israel, and now the prolonged horrors unfolding in Gaza where children and families endure bombing, starvation, displacement, and trauma. This nightmare experienced by children is a hauntingly familiar experience to many of the refugee and immigrant children we serve at the Young Center who have fled similar circumstances.

We call on the U.S. Government to use its power and influence—leaning into its moral obligation—to halt situations that endanger children’s safety wherever it can, including in Gaza. Together, we must all strive for a steadfast commitment to the well-being of every child, everywhere.