I know most of you come to this blog for watch-related content. Of the 99 articles I published before this one, watches, a personal passion / obsession, is largely what I’ve been writing about. And I realize that if I don’t want to lose most of you as readers, that’s largely what the next 99 should be about too.
Earlier this month, I asked folks on Instagram what they’d like to see as the 100th article on the blog. Various great suggestions were made, and I’ve taken good note of them. The fact that I finally decided to post this article about Terre des hommes in Gaza was not intentionally to mark number 100. It’s just that given the importance of the topic, I didn’t want to artificially wait once I had all the info I needed.
That being said, if you really want to know, using this blog to modestly support Terre des hommes is actually what’s kept me going at times I’ve wanted to give up. Times over the past five years when I felt the watch topic was getting a bit much for me. Times when I thought I should be spending energy on other things in life. Times when the obsessive, intrusive and narcissistic aspects of watch collecting were conflicting with my principles, no matter how many wonderful other aspects there are to watchmaking. So I guess dedicating the 100th post of this blog to what Terre des hommes is doing to help amid one of the most brutal tragedies of our times actually makes sense.
I think we’ve all been following the news. I don’t want to get political here, so will keep any personal opinions to myself. What we can all agree on though is that horror is taking place in Gaza, with 54,000 people killed, and counting. Among them, many children. As the leading Swiss organization for children’s aid, Terre des hommes, like many other NGOs, is trying to help.
With everything we hear about how difficult it is to even access the area, let alone keep aid staff safe, I’ve been wondering what exactly Tdh is able to do in Gaza. For general awareness, but also to pay tribute to their work, empathize and, for those who want to contribute, understand where the help goes. So I reached out to the team in Lausanne. Below is what I learned.
In 2024
Before we dive into what Tdh is doing today in Gaza, let’s first take a quick look at what they were able to achieve there last year. To put things into perspective, let’s be reminded that the Swiss NGO, while not small, is also not one of the global mastodons. Up until last year, the organization had 2,400 employees around the world. Since the US cut its international aid in February 2025, several hundred have sadly had to be let go.
In 2024, Terre des hommes provided mental health and psychosocial support services in Gaza to over 60,000 children and caregivers. In the face of the individual and collective disasters children have been facing in the region, this kind of intervention obviously goes a long way in helping them at least reduce the devastating long term trauma.
Tdh also set up two safe learning spaces, benefitting near 750 displaced children. Finally, they provided multi-purpose cash assistance to close to 2,300 families and cash-for-protection to almost 500 families. Stating the obvious here but behind those numbers, we’re talking about individuals here, whose lives matter as much to them as yours or mine matters to us.
Today
What about now? Despite the ongoing military operations, Tdh are pursuing their action in 2025. Laurence Gaubert, the NGO’s Emergency Response Manager, explains: “We currently have 20 Palestinian staff and three expatriates in Gaza, continuously adapting our response to the evolving security conditions and movement restrictions, to maintain operations, but the conditions are difficult. Staff safety remains our first priority, given the intensity of airstrikes, bombings, and constant threat to life, combined with widespread violations of international humanitarian law and the UN Convention of the children’s rights .“
So what kind of support exactly are they able to provide? Working with 3 local organizations (BLDA, ACHA and BAA), Tdh enables water trucking, child protection, non-formal education and psychosocial support. But the conditions are immensely difficult, limiting the scope of action. “ Activities shift frequently due to evacuations, movements of populations, and security developments,” says Gaubert.
That also means the geographical scope has been reduced. Five sites east of Salah al-Din in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis can no longer be covered. Operations are limited to Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, and Al-Mawasi. The face-to-face psychosocial and awareness sessions Tdh conducts in those areas is made even more difficult as families are displaced or areas become inaccessible.
Water trucking, on the other hand, resumed mid-May at five sites in Deir al-Balah. 580 m3 had been delivered as of May 31. In June, they will increase this to 140 m3 per day across new sites in Khan Yunis and Al-Mawasi. The work is done in collaboration with other organizations, including via a cluster for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Oxfam, who support water quality testing.
When asked whether Terre des hommes is able to bring material help into Gaza, the Emergency Operations Officer’s response is as sad as it is unsurprising: “A little but barely. Several trucks with psychosocial kits for children and hygiene supplies are stuck at Kerem Shalom, waiting for clearance. Our prepositioned stocks have run out. We’re doing what we can with the limited supplies still in the area, but without a change in access conditions, we’ll struggle to keep going.“
There are plenty of ways of supporting those helping in Gaza, whether via Terre des hommes, or others. Because it’s not possible to contribute to everything, I explained in a blog post last year why, personally, Tdh is the organization I chose to support. If you would like to find out more about what they’re up to or consider making a donation, please visit their website on Tdh.org.
Header photo: ©Tdh/Amany Fayed
