Seven Lost Orphans of Gaza: Their Stories and the Fight to Save the Rest

October 8, 2025 

They were children. But far too often, in the shadows of crisis, poverty, and exile, childhood is stolen. Their laughter was no longer heard. Their futures were erased and not by chance, but by the cruel weight of conflict, hunger, and poverty. At Zakat Foundation of America, we strive every day to protect those who remain: to nourish, to educate, to shelter, and to uplift. We pour our hearts into supporting the orphans who survive, building for them a bridge toward hope. 

But even that sometimes is not enough.  

Despite every effort, despite your unwavering support, and despite our relentless will to save them; some are lost. 

Their names never make the headlines. Their dreams vanish before they can take root, especially in Gaza, where the weight of devastation falls heaviest on the smallest shoulders. 

And so, we grieve. Not just for the lives we could not save, but for a world where children are forced to carry the weight of tragedies they never caused. 

In Gaza, we lost seven of our sponsored orphans. Seven innocent souls, taken before their time. Today we remember their names, their stories, and pray for their families. 

Stand With Orphans in Gaza 

Over 39,000 children in Gaza are now orphaned, left to navigate the rubble of crisis without one or both parents. And an estimated 132,000 young children, just 6 to 59 months old, are facing the agony of acute malnutrition. These are not just numbers. These are lives hanging by a thread. 

This is why we act. 

On the ground in Gaza, our teams are delivering fresh vegetables, meat, and essential nutrition to orphaned children and their caregivers, along with firewood to cook and survive the cold. At Al-Baraka Camp, 120 orphaned children and their families now find shelter, clean water, hot meals, and a moment of safety in Khan Younis and Al-Mawasi. We also offer medical treatment at the Kuwait Specialty Field Hospital in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, to serve those in critical condition.   

Your support is what makes hope possible. In Gaza, children still dream of skies filled with birds, of laughter echoing through quiet streets, and of families growing together, not torn apart by loss. 

You can help keep their hope alive. Show them they are not forgotten. Support our Orphan Care Program so these children know that somewhere in the world, someone sees them, hears them and is fighting for their dreams to survive.