Gaza Registry: 54,468 Orphans and Widows Face Fragmented Family Care

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Development in Gaza has recorded 54,468 children who lost one or both parents since the war began in October 2023. This figure represents a portion of a larger group, as the ministry counts at least 71,000 orphaned children across the territory when including those bereaved in earlier Israeli military operations. The ministry’s data also indicates that approximately 3,000 children currently have no registered guardian, custodian, or caregiver to look after them.

The registry reflects the changing family structures in Gaza, where the death of parents has shifted care responsibilities to extended relatives. The ministry has also identified at least 64,000 widows in the territory. These women often become the sole financial providers for their households after losing their husbands in airstrikes or ground combat. The ministry notes that these families are struggling to maintain basic living standards in the face of economic instability.

In the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, three siblings named Mariam, Aya, and Jebril illustrate the logistical challenges of this care gap. The Abu Asser children lost their father during Israel’s 2014 offensive. Their mother, Islam, died on the nineteenth day after the ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025, when an Israeli bomb struck the tent where they had taken shelter. The siblings are now 16, 14, and 12 years old, respectively. Jebril sustained injuries from the blast that killed their mother.

Their aunt, Warda al-Muzeini, described the children’s living situation as unstable. The trio primarily stays with their paternal grandmother but rotates between their maternal aunts. They spend two nights with each aunt before moving to the next. Al-Muzeini, who also lost her husband in an air strike, said she struggles to provide even one meal a day for her four children while sharing the burden of caring for the orphans. The aunts divide small expenses, with one buying pyjamas, another purchasing slippers, and others providing pocket money.

Aziza al-Kahlout, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated that the statistics do not fully capture the daily suffering of these children. She explained that losing both parents means losing care, safety, and education. Al-Kahlout warned that poverty and displacement are leading to increased risks of child labor, school dropout, and early marriage. She noted that orphaned children are particularly vulnerable as economic conditions worsen and shelter remains scarce.

The impact on individual children can be profound and long-lasting. Wafaa al-Attar, now 13, was ten years old when her family’s home was destroyed in a blast on 22 February 2024. She had left the building to charge her father’s phone at her uncle’s nearby house. The air strike killed her father, Ahmed, her mother, Khouloud, and her four siblings, who ranged in age from nine months to eight years. Al-Attar suffered minor shrapnel injuries and was hospitalized.

Al-Attar recalled asking about her family until her uncle informed her they had died. She then remained silent for several hours before questioning how they all died at once. She initially stayed with her grandparents before moving in with her uncle, his wife, and their newborn child. Al-Attar said she spent months wishing she had been in the house when it was bombed. Her uncle’s wife told her that her father would want her to stay strong, though Al-Attar acknowledged that no one could replace her own family.