Child health in Gaza: what can children expect?

For 2 years, the people of Gaza have been killed, maimed and displaced in a devastating war that is an affront to humanity. It is one of the ongoing wars, some of which have been going on for years, and many of which are submerged or ignored by the international community. Once again, and more than ever, the victims are civilians, especially children. In the Gaza Strip, 64 000 children have reportedly been killed or maimed, including at least 1000 babies. It is highly likely that the number of deaths is much higher, due to preventable illnesses or bodies remaining buried under rubble. What will happen to the surviving children once hostilities are suspended? What has happened under other circumstances? Every war is different in its motivations, methods, duration and (always dire) outcomes, but what can we expect for Gazan children? An analysis of three historical conflicts (Iraq, Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti) indicates that, after the acute phase of an armed conflict, it takes approximately 10 years to restore, maintain and resume the trends in improvement in the under-5 mortality rate, in rates of vaccination coverage, wasted children and completion of primary education to preconflict levels. These results may be useful for monitoring future interventions to re-establish, or guarantee for the first time, the rights denied to children and the entire population. It would also be helpful to rewrite treaties and agreements for the suspension of conflict that go beyond the reconstruction of buildings and economic aid, but that also define specific objectives and timelines based on health determinants, which are nothing other than indicators of the implementation of human rights.