Building Hope in Gaza

Building Hope in Gaza
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Perry World House and Zoom

Since October 7, 2023, UNICEF reports that over 20,000 children in Gaza have been killed and at least 40,000 injured. With estimates that almost all schools in Gaza have sustained damage or been destroyed, over 600,000 children remained out of school as of early 2026. Some 800,000 children have been displaced from their homes, and in the first six months of this year, UNICEF treated just under 20,000 children for acute malnutrition. Child protection indicators, like those around child labor and psychosocial distress, are worsening amid these conditions.

What might support look like for children facing this devastating humanitarian situation?

In 2024, Palestinian-American neurosurgeon David Hasan took it upon himself to try to answer this question after traveling to Gaza on one of the first international medical missions in the territory. He responded by founding the nonprofit Gaza Children’s Village (GCV). Its flagship program, the Academy of Hope, provides education, meals, healthcare, and emotional support to thousands of orphaned and displaced children. GCV, in coordination with international partners, the Board of Peace, and with approval from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), is also setting up a mobile hospital to address the critical lack of pediatric care. GCV also runs a women’s center, an “educational city,” and is working to deliver fresh food aid.

Join Perry World House for a discussion with Dr. David Hasan, moderated by journalist Deborah Amos, who has reported from war zones for decades, to learn more about this initiative, what it has taken to build it amid ongoing strife, and what he believes needs to happen next.