Islamic Relief is today launching a new appeal to secure life-saving support for more than 7,000 children in desperate need in Gaza.  

Our Orphan Sponsorship Programme is a lifeline for families in Gaza, supporting them with a monthly stipend paid directly into their accounts, enabling families to buy the items they need most when they are available.

We have massively expanded the programme in response to the ongoing crisis. Prior to October 2023, Islamic Relief supported 7,200 children in Gaza through orphan sponsorship. Now, thanks to our generous supporters, more than 21,000 are receiving desperately-needed support.

But as conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate, many more children need your help. We currently have over 7,300 children registered on our system, in urgent need of sponsorship.

These children need your help now.

Gaza’s children face unimaginable hardship

More than 64,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, and tens of thousands of children have been left without one or both of their parents.

Amid so much hardship, orphaned children are especially vulnerable. They have been bombed, starved and forcibly displaced – often multiple times. They have seen their friends and relatives killed, and their homes and schools destroyed.

And they are experiencing all of this without the comfort and support of their parents.

Many orphans and their families now live in overcrowded shelters or makeshift tents, which do not protect them from the harsh weather.

Orphaned children are struggling to access food, water and basic hygiene supplies
Orphaned children are struggling to access food, water and basic hygiene supplies

“The emotional toll on children is immense. For almost 2 years they have been forced to deal with the terror of ongoing bombing, grief of losing their parents and other loved ones, and increasing hunger as famine looms.

“Islamic Relief is on the ground in Gaza, delivering aid and supporting orphaned children who have no-one else to turn to. We urgently need more sponsors to support the children on our waitlist,” Anwar Ahmed, Islamic Relief’s Orphan and Child Welfare Manager says.

How you can help them

Since 1998, Islamic Relief has been supporting orphaned children in Gaza through one-to-one sponsorship.

We are now introducing 2 more ways our donors can support vulnerable children in Gaza: sponsoring multiple children from the same family, and donating to the General Orphans Fund. You can learn more about these life-saving donations here.

Our Orphan Sponsorship in Gaza: Be a lifeline to Gaza’s orphans report details how your support can make a tangible difference to children and their families in Gaza today.

The situation may feel hopeless, but, with your help, Islamic Relief can reach more families in desperate need.

Be a lifeline to Gaza’s orphans. Palestinian children need you now.

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