The situation in Gaza is among the most severe humanitarian crises of our time. It requires an exceptional mobilization from the entire UN family. This autumn, the United Nations, in collaboration with the European Union (specifically the Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations), will bring the experiences of people in Gaza closer to European audiences.
Three exhibits will offer visitors a chance to see through the eyes of humanitarian workers as they work tirelessly on the ground: delivering food, essential supplies and services, helping children, and supporting the Palestinian people.
Their message is clear: the time for action is now — we need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and full, unfettered humanitarian access. The trickle of aid must become an ocean: food, water, medicine, and fuel must flow without obstruction.
ECHO-UNRWA photo exhibition
‘Bearing Witness: Gaza through Their Eyes’
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has long served the people of Gaza, well before the current war began. For decades, it has provided education, healthcare, protection, vocational training, psychosocial support, and vital humanitarian aid. Beyond Gaza, UNRWA works in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
The scale of destruction in Gaza is apocalyptic. Entire neighbourhoods and cities have been reduced to rubble. Israeli military operations have devastated civilian infrastructure – including homes, hospitals, schools, and UN facilities – all protected under International Humanitarian Law. So are humanitarian workers, whose job is critical in providing lifesaving aid to civilians during crises. Since the war began in Gaza, over 330 UNRWA staff members have been killed. Among them were teachers, doctors, and social workers – people who had dedicated their lives to helping others.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Authorities continue to ban international media from entering the Gaza Strip to independently report on the horrors of the war, while more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed. Despite this, and often at great personal risk, UNRWA’s photojournalists – supported by the European Union – have persisted in documenting life under siege and amid relentless bombardment.
This exhibition is their lens. It is Gaza’s voice. A call not to look away.
The exhibition is currently on display in the following venues, with additional locations to be confirmed:
- Central Hall of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain – until 19 October 2025
- First presented at the CENTQUATRE in Paris, France, the exhibition was hosted by the Town Hall of the 20th arrondissement – until 3 November 2025
- Dublin City Hall, Dublin, Ireland – until 21 December 2025
- The exhibition will now travel to Brussels, Belgium. The series of photos will be open to the public at the Bourse from 4 February to 1 March 2026.
For more details, please visit UNRWA’s website.
Gaza: Stories of Hope and Resilience (European Commission and World Food Programme)
MONDAY 15 – THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2025
Place de la Monnaie, 1000 Brussels.
This public art exhibition will showcase the powerful and deeply human work of Gazan artist Ahmed Muhanna, offering a rare glimpse into life in the Gaza Strip after nearly two years of relentless hardship and destruction. Using WFP boxes, which once carried humanitarian aid, as his canvas, Ahmed transforms necessity into art.
Through more than one hundred paintings and drawings, complemented by immersive multimedia content (cinema spot and videos), the exhibition takes visitors on a touching journey of survival, resilience and hope.
A WFP staff member who has served in Gaza will be present throughout the exhibition to welcome visitors, provide context, and share stories behind the artwork. Her testimony will offer a vivid and authentic glimpse into life in the Strip.
The exhibition will be held in a travelling container truck, who will first stop in Brussels (BE), on the Place de la Monnaie, between 15 and 18 September 2025. The exhibit will then continue its journey to five other European countries throughout September and October. It will stop at the following locations:
- the Gustav Adolfs torg in Gothenburg (SE), on 22-24 September
- the Stortorget in Malmö (SE), on 26-28 September
- the Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen (DK), on 30 September-2 October
- Bahnhofsplatz, Bremen (DE), on 4-6 October
- the Münsterplatz in Bonn (DE), on 8-10 October
- De Markt in Maastricht (NL), on 13-14 October
- the Mgr. Ladeuzenplein in Leuven (BE), on 18-19 October
- and the Place de la République in Lille (FR), on 21-23 October
On the dates indicated above, the exhibit will be open between 9:00 and 18:00 (CET), except on the afternoon of Wednesday, 17 September.
A QUESTION MARK HANGS OVER GAZA
(European Union and UNICEF)
FRIDAY 3 – WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER 2025
Pavillon des Passions Humaines, Cinquantenaire Park.
“A question mark hangs over Gaza” is a traveling photo exhibition that showcases the situation of Palestinian children as seen through the lenses of Palestinian journalists and photographers. It sheds light on the critical need for a ceasefire and a just and lasting solution for all children.
The exhibition has passed through Madrid, Copenhagen and Dublin already, and is scheduled for Brussels in October.
International journalists do not have free access to the Gaza Strip. It is therefore Palestinian photographers and reporters who immortalize these stories. They are the eyes of their community and give voice to their people. Their photographs are at the heart of this exhibition.
Beyond the images, sound plays a central role in this exhibition. The soundscapes you will hear come directly from Gaza. Despite some damaged recordings, each fragment has been meticulously restored to convey the daily life of Gazans with the utmost authenticity. The result is an immersive sound experience that plunges you into the heart of the region’s streets, homes, and shelters.
This exhibition presents stories marked by resilience, sadness, but also hope. It calls for an immediate ceasefire and a more just world for the children of Gaza. The images and ambient sounds break down the distance and confront us with a reality that cannot be ignored.
Let these stories wash over you. Listen, watch, and learn about what is happening in Gaza. And above all, make it known that the children of Gaza have not been forgotten.
The exhibit can also be viewed online through this link.
