Gaza: 54,468 Orphans Face Care Vacuum as Widows Split Basic Needs

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development in Gaza has recorded 54,468 children who have lost one or both parents since October 2023. This figure is part of a larger demographic shift in the territory, where officials count at least 64,000 widows and 71,000 orphaned children. The ministry’s data includes individuals bereaved in earlier Israeli military attacks on the strip.

The ministry's registration system also identifies approximately 3,000 children who currently have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver. These children are among the most vulnerable in a population where traditional family support structures have been disrupted by conflict and displacement.

Warda al-Muzeini, an aunt to three children, described the precarious living situation of the Abu Asser siblings. Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, lost their mother Islam on the nineteenth day after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025. An Israeli bomb struck their tent in Deir al-Balah, killing their mother while the children watched. The siblings had previously lost their father during the 2014 offensive.

Al-Muzeini stated that the children have no stable home. They primarily stay with their paternal grandmother but rotate between maternal aunts, spending two nights with each. Al-Muzeini, who lost her own husband in an Israeli air strike, now raises four children without a job or reliable income. She reported struggling to provide even one meal per day. The sisters share the financial load, with one aunt buying pyjamas, another slippers, and another providing pocket money for a few days.

Aziza al-Kahlout, a spokesperson for the ministry, said the statistics do not fully capture the daily suffering involved. She noted that children who lose both parents lose care, safety, education, and childhood. Al-Kahlout explained that these children are forced to carry responsibilities far beyond their years. She added that women who become the sole breadwinners face a double burden of providing for children and raising them amid devastation.

Al-Kahlout warned of "deeply alarming signs of growing risks of child labour, school dropout and early marriage in Gaza." She attributed these trends to poverty, displacement, and the loss of family breadwinners. The spokesperson said orphaned children are especially exposed as economic and humanitarian conditions worsen and adequate shelter remains scarce.

Wafaa al-Attar, 13, lost her entire family in an air strike in Deir al-Balah on 22 February 2024. She was 10 years old when a blast hit the multi-storey building where her family resided. The attack killed her father Ahmed, her mother Khouloud, and her four siblings: Rital, 8, Muhammed, 5, Obada, 3, and Yazan, 9 months old. Al-Attar suffered minor shrapnel injuries and was taken to hospital, where she asked about her family until her uncle confirmed they had died.

Al-Attar initially stayed with her grandparents before moving in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn child. She described wishing she had been in the house when it was bombed. Her uncle's wife reminded her that her father would want her to stay strong. Al-Attar acknowledged that no one could replace her own family.