As Christmas approaches, Friends of t he Holy Land is asking Christians to turn their minds to the city of Bethlehem, where the Christmas story began , and conflict continues in the region., the Christian Today website reports today (Dec. 2, 2024).
For children across the world, the celebration of Christ's birth will mean presents, nativity plays, and meals with family and friends, but children in the Holy Land will spend their Christmas worrying about bombing in the region and where their next meal will come from, says Friends of the Holy Land.
Speaking at the launch of its Christmas Appeal, CEO Brendan Metcalfe said that the Holy Land's children are being robbed of their chance of a normal childhood, and the ongoing conflict has denied children many of their basic needs.
It is proving impossible to keep children sheltered from the reality of the situation, with parents from across the West Bank reporting warning signs of the heavy toll the ever--present danger is taking on children. Many experience nightmares fed by the fears they live with day--to--day, while others have lost their appetite and do not want to play with friends anymore.
Also, a whole generation is at risk of missing out of some of their most formative years of school. According to Metcalf, "Since October 2023, many children are unable to attend school due to travel restrictions, school fees, or because they are too frightened to leave their homes."
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