Islamic Relief expands orphan sponsorship program in Gaza as children face lasting trauma

Islamic Relief Worldwide has significantly expanded its Orphan Sponsorship Programme in Gaza, scaling up from 8,700 children sponsored before October 2023 to more than 25,000 children today, according to a press release by the organization. The initiative provides vital humanitarian aid to children orphaned or injured in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. A year since the ceasefire came into effect, Gaza remains the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. The program delivers monthly unconditional stipends directly to families. It stands as one of the few remaining channels of real support reaching suffering Palestinian families.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 42,000 people in Gaza have suffered life-changing injuries because of the conflict. One in four of those injured is a child. The United Nations has described the mental harm in Gaza as having “become intergenerational, producing a distinctive ‘occupied psyche’ in which the freedom to play, imagine, hope, and develop an identity has been eroded.” Islamic Relief has supported orphaned children in Gaza through sponsorship for three decades. The organization scaled up its response following the escalation of the conflict in October 2023.

Among those receiving support is 10-year-old Yasmeen, whose father died of a heart attack when she was an infant. During Israel’s assault on Gaza, Yasmeen suffered a serious injury to her right eye, which was permanently damaged. She has been unable to return to school because no schools or temporary education centers are operating nearby and because her injury has left her feeling overwhelmed and self-conscious. Her family has been forced to flee their home and take shelter in a worn-out tent. They continue to live through daily explosions and displacement.

Yasmeen’s mother, Heba, was also injured and is unable to walk long distances, while her brother Ahmad suffered a hand injury that prevents him from carrying heavy items. “Losing her father was hard, but seeing my daughter broken like this is even harder. Yasmeen’s injury has devastated all of us – her physical and emotional condition is deteriorating,” Heba said. Yasmeen described her own anguish, saying, “Every day I sit and grieve for myself and cry.” Heba uses the monthly stipend provided by Islamic Relief to purchase food and heating materials. “I thank everyone who supported us before and after the war,” she said.

The unconditional nature of the stipend allows families to buy the items they need most when they become available. Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme now reaches more than 25,000 children in Gaza, including Yasmeen and her family. The organization has urged continued public support to sustain the lifeline it provides to orphaned and injured children. For Heba, the hope remains simple and personal.

“All I ask from this world is to see my daughter living a normal life again,” she said.