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Today's Paper | May 09, 2026

Published 16 Dec, 2023 04:44pm

The loss of entire families is ravaging the social fabric of Gaza: report

The Gazan tradition of extended families living together in multistorey buildings, compounded by relatives moving in together for safety in wartime, has meant that hundreds of multigenerational families have suffered, all but wiped out in single or multiple strikes, Financial Times reports.

Medical experts warn that such widespread loss will have a long-term psychological impact. A teenager now living in Gaza has survived five periods of major bombardment: in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021 and now 2023.

Dr Ayesha Kadir, a paediatrician and senior health adviser for Save the Children, said Gaza’s youth faced multiple levels of trauma. Children were witnessing death first-hand, while adults, the very people to whom children turn for protection, were lost in despair.

“[Adults] can’t create that sense of safety and security that’s a fundamental need for healthy, normal child development.”

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