Gaza ministry records 54,468 children who lost parents since 2023
A new count reveals the scale of orphanhood in the territory, while widows report struggling to provide basic care for displaced families.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development in Gaza has recorded 54,468 children who have lost at least one parent since the conflict began in October 2023. This figure represents a substantial portion of the territory's young population facing long-term displacement and economic instability.
The ministry’s data indicates that there are at least 64,000 widows and 71,000 orphaned children across Gaza. These totals include individuals who lost family members during earlier Israeli military operations in the region, not just the current war.
The registration system also identifies approximately 3,000 children who currently have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver. These minors exist in a legal and practical gap, lacking a formal adult responsible for their welfare.
The Abu Asser siblings from Gaza City illustrate the daily reality for many of these families. Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, lost their mother, Islam, on the nineteenth day of the ceasefire that took effect on 10 October 2025. An Israeli bomb struck their tent in Deir al-Balah, killing her in front of the children.
The siblings now rotate between their maternal aunts and their paternal grandmother, staying two nights at each location. Their aunt, Warda al-Muzeini, who lost her husband in a previous air strike, helps support them. She reported that she manages to provide only one meal a day for her own four children and the orphans combined, as she has no job or reliable income.
Aziza al-Kahlout, the ministry spokesperson, stated that the statistics do not fully capture the immediate impact on children. She noted that losing a parent means losing safety and education, often forcing minors to take on adult responsibilities. She warned of rising risks of child labor, school dropout, and early marriage due to poverty and displacement.
Wafaa al-Attar, 13, lost her entire immediate family in a single air strike on 22 February 2024. The blast hit a multi-storey building in Deir al-Balah, killing her father Ahmed, her mother Khouloud, and her four siblings, who ranged in age from nine months to eight years. Attar survived with minor shrapnel injuries.
Attar initially stayed with her grandparents before moving in with her uncle and his wife. She described the first months as a time when she wished she had been killed alongside her family. Her aunt-in-law eventually helped her accept that her father wanted her to remain strong, though Attar acknowledged that no one could replace her original family.
