Gaza ministry registers 54,468 orphans as widows split care costs

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development has registered 54,468 children who have lost one or both parents since the conflict in Gaza began in October 2023. The ministry’s data reveals that at least 64,000 women in the territory are widows, while the total number of orphaned children, including those bereaved in earlier military attacks, stands at 71,000.

Within this registry, approximately 3,000 children are listed without a registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver. These figures reflect the scale of family disruption across the territory, where the loss of parents has shifted the responsibility for daily care onto extended relatives.

In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, three siblings named Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, illustrate the logistical burden placed on these families. The children lost their father during the 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza. When their home in Gaza City was destroyed during the war that started in 2023, they sheltered with their mother, Islam, in a makeshift tent.

On the 19th day after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025, an Israeli bomb struck the tent, killing Islam. Jebril, who was sitting in his mother's lap, sustained injuries in the blast. Their aunt, Warda al-Muzeini, stated that the children now lack a stable home.

Muzeini explained that the siblings rotate between their maternal aunts, spending two nights with each relative. The family spends most of their time with their paternal grandmother. Muzeini, who lost her own husband in an air strike, raises four children alone without a job or reliable income. She reported struggling to provide even one meal a day for her household.

The widowed aunts divide the costs of raising the orphans. One aunt purchases pyjamas, another buys slippers, and a third provides pocket money sufficient for only a couple of days. This arrangement allows the children to receive basic necessities despite the financial strain on their relatives.

Aziza al-Kahlout, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated that the statistics do not fully capture the daily suffering of these families. She noted that a child who has lost both parents loses care, safety, education, and childhood, often taking on responsibilities beyond their years. Women serving as sole breadwinners face the challenge of providing for and raising children amid widespread devastation.

Kahlout warned of growing risks of child labor, school dropout, and early marriage in Gaza. She attributed these trends to poverty, displacement, and the loss of family breadwinners. Orphaned children are particularly exposed as economic conditions worsen and adequate shelter remains scarce.

Wafaa al-Attar, now 13, lost her father Ahmed, her mother Khouloud, and four siblings in an air strike on 22 February 2024. The blast hit a multi-storey building in Deir al-Balah while Attar was at her uncle's nearby house to charge her father's phone. She suffered minor shrapnel injuries and was taken to hospital.

Attar stayed with her grandparents before moving in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn. She recalled wishing she had been in the building when it was bombed. Her uncle's wife reminded her that her father would want her to stay strong. Attar acknowledged that while her father would want her to be strong, no one can replace her own family.