Gaza ministry records 54,468 orphaned children as widows share care costs
New data from the Social Development Ministry details the strain on families and the specific risks facing minors who have lost parental support since late 2023.
By Carolina Wood ·
The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development in Gaza has registered 54,468 children who have lost one or both parents since October 2023.
The ministry’s data indicates that at least 64,000 women in the territory are widows. Officials note that these figures include individuals bereaved during earlier Israeli military campaigns in addition to the war that began in 2023. The registration system also identifies approximately 3,000 children who currently have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver.
The Abu Asser family illustrates the logistical challenges these children face. Mariam, 16, Aya, 14, and Jebril, 12, were orphaned on the 19th day after the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. An Israeli bomb struck their makeshift tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, killing their mother, Islam. The siblings had previously lost their father during the 2014 offensive. They now rotate between relatives, spending two nights at each aunt’s location.
Warda al-Muzeini, the children’s aunt, stated that Jebril was injured when the bomb hit while he sat in his mother’s lap. Muzeini, who lost her husband in an air strike, supports her own four children without a job or reliable income. She reports struggling to provide even one meal a day. Another maternal aunt, also a widow, shares the financial burden. The sisters divide expenses, with one purchasing pyjamas, another buying slippers, and a third providing pocket money for a few days at a time.
Aziza al-Kahlout, a spokesperson for the ministry, described the impact of the data. She stated that a child who loses both parents loses care, safety, and education. She noted that such children are often forced to carry responsibilities beyond their age. Al-Kahlout said women who become sole breadwinners face a double burden of providing for and raising children amidst devastation.
Al-Kahlout warned of increasing risks of child labor, school dropout, and early marriage. She attributed these trends to poverty, displacement, and the loss of family income. The spokesperson said orphaned children are particularly vulnerable as economic conditions worsen and adequate shelter remains scarce.
Wafaa al-Attar, 13, lost her entire family in a single air strike on February 22, 2024. While charging her father’s phone at her uncle’s house in Deir al-Balah, a blast destroyed the multi-storey building where her family lived. The strike killed her father, Ahmed, her mother, Khouloud, and her four siblings, aged nine months to eight. Al-Attar suffered minor shrapnel injuries. She initially stayed with her grandparents before moving in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn child.
