Number of unaccompanied Gaza children ‘far exceeds UN estimates’

The U.S.-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) has expressed concern that the actual number of unaccompanied children in the war-torn Gaza Strip is likely far higher than the 17,000 estimated by the U.N.'s child agency.

Doctors reported to the IRC that they have encountered children in hospitals who have no surviving family members, effectively living there alone due to the absence of alternative care options.

A U.N. survey conducted in April 2024 indicated that 41 percent of families in Gaza were caring for children who were not their ownsince last October — a figure that surpasses the usual emergency estimates of 3 to 5 percent by more than eightfold.

At the same time, UNICEF estimates that up to 19,000 children have been orphaned. While community members are stepping in to provide care, conditions remain grave, with displaced populations lacking basic resources, including food, water, adequate shelter and access to health care.

The IRC said in its report that this scarcity is heightening fears of child neglect, particularly amid recent displacements, as families may be forced to prioritize their own children over others due to limited space and resources.

"Children who are abandoned or separated from their families, as well as orphans, face particularly high risks of child labor, exploitation, neglect and mental health issues. Their access to critical resources for survival is also severely reduced," said Ulrike Julia Wendt, the IRC's emergency child protection coordinator.

"A psychologist I spoke to in Gaza last month mentioned many cases of children in shock, often seeking comfort and clinging to adults when they hear loud sounds. Some children have also started bed-wetting, had nightmares, and are asking to...