Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made with international counterparts of (a) the level of trauma being experienced by children in Gaza and (b) the potential impact of this trauma on these children's wellbeing.

We remain deeply concerned by the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including on women and children. The deterioration of the health sector and ongoing restrictions on medical equipment has meant that women and children have been unable to access the urgent healthcare support they require. This UK is providing £88 million in humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestinians this financial year. This funding will help deliver essential healthcare, clean water, sanitation and hygiene services, and protection support. This includes £1 million to support rehabilitation for children with blast injuries. In September, alongside Jordan and Qatar, I co-hosted a ministerial meeting with the Foreign Secretary at the UN General Assembly on humanitarian access and healthcare in Gaza. Following the meeting, the UK and international partners issued a Call to Action urging Israel to allow rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access and the entry of critical items.

In addition, a cross-Government taskforce, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), supported 50 sick and injured children to leave Gaza and receive specialist treatment in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals across the UK in 2025. As stated in the Written Ministerial Statement dated 24 June 2026, the UK intends to continue this effort for a further set of sick and injured children.

I have recently met with a number of humanitarian organisations to hear directly about the circumstances on the ground in Gaza.