In Arad, where SOS Children’s Villages in Israel has a village, alarms blared, prompting caregivers and staff to take the children from their beds late at night and guide them to shelters, where they sought refuge until morning.  

Bat El, a counsellor at SOS Children’s Villages in Israel, was on call along with all staff members when the attacks occurred. “Suddenly, we saw a rain of lights in the sky, followed by a huge boom. It was the missiles intercepts. We ran inside the house and woke all the children up, running together to the shelter,” she said.  

“The children were terrified. We talked with them, explaining that we are here with them and everything will be all right. One child started to cry. He was worried about his mother. He feared she couldn’t make it to the shelter on time. We called her on the phone, and he heard her and calmed down. We sat beside the children's beds all night so they felt safe. After a few hours, they all fell asleep," Bat El said. 

Outside of Arad, a 7-year-old girl from the Bedouin community was seriously injured by shrapnel. She is currently hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit at Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, where the doctors are fighting for her life. 

SOS Children’s Villages Israel operates 11 daycare centers that offer educational and empowerment activities for children in the Bedouin community. 

Further north in Israel, the children in our children’s village were awakened by the missile interceptions. They were scared, and the staff comforted them throughout the night. 

Nelly Geva, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Israel says: "Through intense work, we provide all the children and youths under our care with a protective space that safeguards their physical and emotional well-being and mitigates the risk of developing post-traumatic symptoms. We wish for better days when all children can live safely and enjoy their childhood." 

The psychological support provided by SOS Children’s Villages Israel brought a sense of security to the children and youth following a night of fear and uncertainty. In light of the cancellation of Passover activities across all our programs, our teams have rallied to develop alternative plans for the extended holiday period.