Ministry of Social Development Launches an Urgent Humanitarian Appeal to Protect Children Deprived of Parental Care in the Gaza Strip
Statement Issued by the Ministry of Social Development
The Ministry of Social Development is following with deep concern the unprecedented humanitarian deterioration in the Gaza Strip and the catastrophic impact of the ongoing Israeli aggression on children, particularly those deprived of parental care, who have become among the most vulnerable groups amid the near-total collapse of the social protection system, continued forced displacement, widespread destruction of infrastructure, and the absence of the most basic necessities of life.
Available estimates indicate that tens of thousands of children have lost one or both parents or have been separated from their families as a result of the aggression. However, the actual number is expected to be significantly higher, as comprehensive field assessments remain impossible due to the ongoing hostilities, repeated displacement, and the inability to access many areas across the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry stressed that the current crisis has gone far beyond the traditional concept of orphanhood and has evolved into a comprehensive child protection crisis. Thousands of families have lost the ability to care for and shelter children as a result of direct attacks, extreme poverty, famine, and the collapse of livelihoods, severely weakening the capacity of the extended family—which has historically served as the primary safety net for Palestinian children—to continue fulfilling this role.
The Ministry warned that the continuation of these conditions is exposing children to escalating risks, including homelessness, child labour, exploitation in all its forms, early marriage, and human trafficking, in addition to the profound psychological trauma threatening an entire generation that has grown up under conditions of war, deprivation, and insecurity.
Despite the extraordinary circumstances under which the Ministry continues to operate, the extensive damage sustained by its offices and social service centres, and the severe shortage of resources and operational capacity, it remains committed to providing social protection and care services for children and families throughout the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with local and international partners and within the limits of the resources available.
In line with its national and humanitarian responsibility, the Ministry issues this urgent appeal to the United Nations and its specialized agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), humanitarian organizations, and donor partners, calling for immediate action to support alternative care programmes for children deprived of parental care, provide sustainable funding for child sponsorship, strengthen mental health and psychosocial support services, enable the Ministry to identify and document affected children, and reinforce child protection programmes that safeguard children from exploitation and ensure they receive the care and protection they urgently require.
The Ministry emphasizes that protecting children deprived of parental care is not only a humanitarian responsibility but also a legal and moral obligation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international humanitarian law. Any delay in responding will have long-term humanitarian and social consequences that will be difficult to reverse and will place an entire generation at even greater risk of deprivation and vulnerability.
The Ministry of Social Development renews its call for an immediate and effective international response to ensure the protection, care, and support of children in the Gaza Strip and to mobilize the resources required to enable the Ministry and its partners to respond to this escalating humanitarian catastrophe, safeguard children's rights to life, dignity, and security, and prevent the loss of an entire generation under the weight of the ongoing Israeli aggression.
Latest News
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.
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.
