Wars in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere have made 2024 a brutal and bloody 12 months. For this year’s Guardian and Observer appeal, in aid of three conflict-linked charities, we are asking readers to give out of compassion for those affected, and in the hope of promoting peace in a safer world. As well as alleviating immediate suffering, and saving lives, our voluntary-sector partners play a vital role in helping to restore civil society in places where it is devastated by conflict. Their work with children, in particular, is essential to efforts to build a better future.
The year began with fierce fighting and mass displacements in southern Gaza. February saw the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while April marked a year since fighting broke out in Sudan between the military and Rapid Support Forces rebels. In each country civilians have suffered terrible losses. Children in the occupied territories are regarded by the UN as having faced human rights violations on an “unprecedented scale”. Reports from Ukraine and Sudan have included horrifying evidence about the use of rape and sexual torture as weapons of war, among other forms of violence.
Since being founded by a group of French doctors and journalists in 1971, Médecins San Frontières (MSF) has become known around the world for delivering healthcare in conflict zones. Currently, MSF has more than 1,000 staff, mostly Palestinians, in the occupied territories. In Sudan, it has provided trauma care but also treatment for malnutrition in 33 hospitals and clinics. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where clashes between the military and rebel groups have also escalated, its staff have led emergency responses to mpox outbreaks. As well as their work on the ground, voluntary-sector organisations including MSF are an important voice for victims of conflict. Their remit is not limited to healing wounds. They also promote justice and human rights.
The work of War Child in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon is focused on helping children to recover from traumatic experiences. With at least 19,000 children either orphaned or separated from their families, there is an enormous need for resources to help them process their experiences, as well as funds for practical essentials including food and shelter. As in therapeutic work with children everywhere, toys and play are key tools for those working with these young refugees and those bereaved, injured or made homeless.
Your donations will support this work of psychological rebuilding, as well as projects in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Yemen. War Child has a presence in 13 countries, while MSF is in many more including Haiti, where it recently reestablished a base having previously been forced to leave due to the violent chaos that has engulfed the country.
CP Scott, the Guardian’s longest-serving editor, referred in a famous essay to the need for “the voice of opponents” to be heard in the newspaper as well as that of friends. Parallel Histories, a small educational charity founded by a history teacher in Lancaster, also aims to reach across divides. Using materials that encourage pupils to to lay out and discuss competing narratives, it aims to help boost their understanding of past and current conflicts. The difficulties reported by teachers in discussing the war in Gaza makes this a timely and valuable initiative.
We thank you in advance for your heartening and generous support. Donate to our charity appeal here: