UPDATE: The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is escalating as new reports confirm that over 39,000 children have been orphaned due to the ongoing conflict. With the war destroying families and livelihoods, many children are now resorting to begging as their only means of survival.
As more than 80 percent of Gaza’s workforce has lost their income, children like 11-year-old Ahmed and 8-year-old Noor are being forced into the streets. Ahmed, who lost his father in July while collecting humanitarian aid, now begs for money to buy food for his family. “I need three shekels to buy a loaf of bread,” he told a reporter, highlighting the dire circumstances many children face.
In Al-Maghazi refugee camp, where Ahmed resides, the situation is urgent. He and countless others stand in the rain, barefoot and vulnerable, waiting for passersby to help them meet basic needs. Noor, who tragically lost her parents in an Israeli airstrike, now lives with her uncle in a cramped tent. Despite her young age, she is forced to contribute to her family’s survival by selling water bottles and other small items.
The scale of this crisis is staggering. Children are unable to attend school, as damaged infrastructure has left many educational facilities inoperable. Before the war, Gaza had a literacy rate of 97 percent, with nearly 625,000 students enrolled in schools. Now, many children like Ahmed and Noor have their childhood stolen, focused solely on survival instead of learning and play.
Local resident Samia observes the heartbreaking reality: “Many of these children don’t know what it means to play or study. Their lives are focused solely on survival.” The psychological trauma and risks of exploitation are rising as more children are forced to beg, exacerbating a situation that the international community has largely ignored.
Human rights organizations are calling for urgent intervention to protect the rights of Gaza’s children as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Immediate action is necessary to ensure access to food, healthcare, education, and a safe environment for these vulnerable children.
As the world watches, the plight of Gaza’s children continues to grow more desperate. Their futures hang in the balance, and without intervention, a generation may be lost to poverty and despair. The time for action is now, before the children of Gaza are robbed of all hope for a better life.
