On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation
Ramallah – On the occasion of World Children's Day, observed annually on 20 November, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that Palestinian children are facing extremely harsh conditions amid the continuing consequences of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, home demolitions, and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. These conditions have deprived children of their lives, families, shelter, education, care, and safety.
According to available United Nations data, at least 21,700 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while approximately 45,000 have been injured, including more than 11,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to experience repeated displacement and deprivation of essential services.
In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, children continue to face attacks, forced displacement of families, and damage to schools, homes, and infrastructure. More than 1,700 children have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 as a result of settler violence, movement restrictions, and demolitions.
The Ministry stressed that the consequences of war and occupation extend beyond immediate casualties to include bereavement, family separation, hunger, school dropout, child labour, violence, exploitation, acquired disabilities, and psychological and social distress. These risks require a comprehensive and long-term child protection response.
The Ministry explained that child protection is a central pillar of its work, implemented through Child Protection Departments in its directorates. These departments receive reports, assess levels of risk, provide case management and family follow-up, facilitate referrals to specialized services, and intervene in cases of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
Their responsibilities also include protecting children engaged in labour or begging, children who have dropped out of school, and children in conflict with the law, in coordination with relevant government authorities and partner organizations.
In the Gaza Strip, children's protection and care needs have intensified significantly, particularly among orphans, children deprived of parental care, separated and unaccompanied children, and those requiring psychosocial support.
In cooperation with its partners, the Ministry is working to provide alternative care, social follow-up, sponsorship programmes, psychological support, and food, health, and in-kind assistance, while strengthening and restoring child protection services across the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry emphasized that protecting children is inseparable from protecting their families. Accordingly, child protection services form part of a broader social protection system encompassing food, cash, and non-food assistance, health insurance, education, school bags and stationery, psychosocial support, services for persons with disabilities, and family economic empowerment.
These interventions aim to reduce the risks associated with poverty, displacement, loss of income, and family instability.
The Ministry of Social Development called on the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and donors to provide sustainable support for the Palestinian child protection system.
It urged continued funding for alternative care programmes, orphan sponsorship, psychosocial support, education, nutrition, and rehabilitation, alongside support for Palestinian national institutions capable of reaching children and families and ensuring sustained follow-up.
The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that World Children's Day cannot be merely an occasion for celebration while Palestinian children are deprived of their most fundamental rights.
It stressed that protecting children begins with safeguarding their right to life and extends to ensuring their rights to family care, shelter, food, education, healthcare, protection, and social support.
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On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment
Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child marriage cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader social protection system, as it is linked to multiple factors, including poverty, school dropout, domestic violence, loss of parental care, displacement, and weakened protection networks. The Ministry explained that its role includes protecting children and girls at risk, providing case management, family interventions, psychosocial support, and referral services, and connecting families with assistance, essential services, and economic empowerment programmes. It also coordinates with relevant authorities when the safety of a child or girl is at risk. The Ministry places the best interests of the child and protection from exploitation and abuse at the heart of its child protection services. The Ministry stressed that preventing early marriage also requires protecting families from poverty and economic shocks, supporting girls' continued access to education, raising awareness of their rights, and strengthening families' ability to cope with pressures without resorting to practices that may expose girls to long-term physical, psychological, and social risks. The issue is particularly concerning in the Gaza Strip, where the Ministry warned that the loss of parental care, displacement, extreme poverty, and the declining capacity of extended families to provide care and protection increase children's vulnerability to various forms of exploitation, including early marriage. In this context, the Ministry continues to work with local and international organizations involved in child and women's protection to strengthen early intervention, referral pathways, alternative care, and psychosocial support, alongside assistance to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk factors that may contribute to early marriage. The Ministry called for child marriage to be addressed as a child protection and human rights issue requiring coordinated action among families and social, educational, health, and legal institutions. It also called for increased investment in girls' education, protection, and empowerment to safeguard their right to grow, learn, and make decisions about their future freely and safely.
MoSD: Protecting & Empowering Women Is Essential to Protecting Families and Strengthening Community Resilience
On Palestinian Women’s National Day, Ministry of Social Development Affirms That Protecting and Empowering Women Is a National Responsibility and a Priority in Its ProgrammesRamallah – 26 October 2026 – On the occasion of Palestinian Women’s National Day, the Ministry of Social Development affirmed that protecting women, safeguarding their rights, and strengthening their participation in public life and decision-making are fundamental pillars of the social protection system and essential to enhancing the resilience of families and communities. The Ministry extended its greetings and appreciation to Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, in recognition of their role in the national struggle, building society, and preserving social cohesion in the face of crises. The Ministry noted that women account for approximately 49% of Palestine’s population, representing 2.74 million women at the end of 2025, according to data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). It emphasized that their social and economic contributions require ensuring their access to services and opportunities and placing their rights and needs at the heart of national programmes and policies. The Ministry explained that this occasion comes amid the profound humanitarian, social, and economic consequences of the Israeli military offensive, with women facing loss, displacement, poverty, and deprivation of housing and sources of income. In the Gaza Strip, the proportion of female-headed households increased from approximately 12% before the war to nearly 18% during September and October 2025, while 22,057 women lost their husbands, according to PCBS data, significantly increasing their caregiving and financial responsibilities. Women in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, also face growing pressures resulting from declining incomes, restrictions on movement, and difficulties accessing essential services. The Ministry affirmed that, as the lead government institution for the social protection sector, it continues to provide cash and relief assistance to eligible families, including female-headed households, while working with partners to respond to emergency needs and alleviate living pressures. Its interventions prioritize women who are the primary providers for their families, displaced women, widows, women with disabilities, survivors of violence, and girls at risk, ensuring their access to services according to their specific needs. In the area of protection from violence, the Ministry explained that, through its directorates, women’s protection counsellors, affiliated protection centres, and partner organizations, it provides protection, shelter, psychosocial counselling, case management, and referrals to specialized services. These interventions also include case follow-up and support for safe reintegration into families and communities, while safeguarding women’s safety, dignity, and privacy. The Ministry stressed the importance of linking assistance with protection, rehabilitation, and economic empowerment, through supporting income-generating projects and employment opportunities in cooperation with partners. These efforts aim to help women establish sustainable sources of income and strengthen their economic independence, taking into account their capabilities and surrounding circumstances. It also highlighted the importance of developing community-based and home care services, as well as childcare facilities, to reduce the burden of caring for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities, thereby creating greater opportunities for women’s economic and social participation. The Ministry expressed its appreciation for the efforts of its staff, women’s protection counsellors, and female employees working in directorates and protection centres, as well as the role of national, civil society, and international organizations in supporting women. It called for stronger coordination and partnerships to ensure the continuity of services and reach women most in need across all areas. The Ministry called on the international community and United Nations agencies to fulfil their responsibilities in protecting Palestinian women and girls, ensuring access to humanitarian assistance and essential services, holding the occupying power accountable for violations against them, and supporting protection, recovery, and empowerment programmes. In conclusion, the Ministry emphasized that honouring the sacrifices of Palestinian women requires safeguarding their rights, protecting them from all forms of violence and discrimination, ensuring their participation in setting priorities and shaping the future of their society, and upholding their right to live in freedom, safety, and dignity.
