Unicef says that it is working to help the orphans of Gazan children.
Many children who have lost their families in the attacks have been brought to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the central parts of Gaza during the Gaza war, says the doctor Younis Al-Ajla.
One of the Palestinian children who lost their family in an Israeli airstrike is 10 years old Razan Shabat.
According to the uncle who identified the girl, the child lost both her parents and three siblings in the attack.
– The girl does not know that she has lost her family, and now we are now responsible for her, my father-in-law’s wife Border Al-Jarou said according to Reuters.
According to the doctor, it is common in Gaza for orphaned children to spend several days alone in the hospital before being contacted by a family member.
Hospital staff mark the children as unrecognizable until a family member identifies them.
Unicef is aware of the situation
The United Nations Children’s Fund Unicef does not keep a count of how many children have been orphaned during the war in Gaza.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder however, describes that the number of orphans in Gaza has exploded.
Elder has met orphans in the Gaza Strip. He admits that Unicef is not able to do enough to help children right now.
– There are many children in Gaza who have lost their parents. There are also a huge number of children in Gaza, whose entire families have been killed in the attacks.
According to Elder, Palestinian families usually take in the orphaned children of relatives, but Unicef is concerned about those children who have lost all their relatives in the attacks.
– For example, Unicef has established safe spaces during the ceasefire where orphans can play.
According to Elder, the organization tries to help the orphans as best it can, but it is difficult because of the war operations.
The situation has deteriorated rapidly since the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip ended on Friday, December 1st.
Source: Reuters