One million children in Gaza are caught up in one of the most politicised conflicts in the world. GazaReal, Terre des hommes’ new virtual reality film, exposes the challenges they face.
According to the UN report ‘Gaza, Ten years later’ an 11-year-old child has only known life under the blockade. That’s an entire generation of girls and boys whose formative years have been spent under political divisions, closure, conflict and in difficult living conditions. We made GazaReal as an immersive experience of what life is really like in Gaza with its challenges and potential. The film is available on Youtube, and can be watched in 3D with the support of virtual reality headsets simulating the viewer’s physical presence in Gaza.
2018 marks the 51st year of the occupation of the Palestinian Territory and the 11th year of the Gaza blockade. This affects every aspect of daily life for children and their families.
Because of the socioeconomic impact of the siege with an estimated poverty level of 40% in 2016, vulnerable families have adopted different coping mechanisms. Child labour, school dropout, and engaging children in risky occupations are amongst some ways families deal to alleviate poverty. Field experts believe that child labor has increased over the past years in the Gaza Strip.
Terre des hommes has been working in Palestine since 1973, providing concrete and efficient assistance to children, youth and their community through its interventions focused on combatting child labor, providing justice for minors, implementing child protection systems and contributing to develop an inclusive education system. We know the context, and we work closely with local partners. Our programmes address the wide range of protection issues faced by children living in such difficult circumstances.
The UN estimates that, if nothing changes, Gaza will be unlivable by 2020. Terre des hommes calls on all parties to the conflict to open their eyes to the devastating impact of the blockade on Gaza’s children.
GazaReal, a 360 virtual reality documentary produced by Euronews was funded by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, as part of the project “Gaza Partnership”: a collaborative project between Terre des hommes, Action Against Hunger, and Première Urgence Internationale.