Nagham, 15, and Mohammad, 14, are caring for their seven younger siblings in a tent in Rafah, Gaza, after losing both parents in the past four months. They fled to the south with their uncle after their father disappeared, and now struggle to survive, with Mohammad trying to provide for the family and Nagham taking on the role of a mother. They live in constant fear of Israeli raids and the threat of a land assault, while also longing for the war to end and hoping to find out what happened to their father.
The Gaza Strip is witnessing a heartbreaking rise in the number of orphans due to the ongoing conflict. Many children are being labeled as "wounded child, no surviving family" (WCNSF) as they lose their parents, siblings, and grandparents in the violence. The story highlights the experiences of three-year-old Ahmed Shabat, two-year-old Muna Alwan, and 11-year-old Dunya Abu Mehsen, who have all been left orphaned and injured. The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of adequate medical care and the challenges in identifying and registering orphaned children.
Nearly 300 orphans caught in the crossfire in Sudan's capital have been rescued in a daring and dangerous evacuation by humanitarian workers. The evacuations were carried out following the deaths of 67 children at the Mygoma orphanage in Khartoum. They died of starvation, dehydration and infections as fighting prevented staff from reaching the orphanage. In a risky operation, 297 children - about 200 of them below the age of two years - were taken by road to the relative safety of Wad Madani, in the south of Sudan.
The war in Ukraine has left hundreds of children dead and many more traumatized. UNICEF estimates that 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health issues. Nearly 1,500 Ukrainian children have been orphaned. Many foundations have emerged to help children overcome the trauma of war, including a group called Voices of Children, which has processed around 700 requests from parents looking for help with children suffering from chronic stress, panic attacks, and symptoms of PTSD. Recovery is within reach for the children, and they can grow stronger because they have survived.
