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.