:Gaza- Nawa Network- Filastiniyat
Mohammad Malaka, a 13-year-old, dreams of becoming a professional football player. After an Israeli soldier killed his father, he paired all responsibilities for his family. Instead of thinking about his future, he focuses on how to fill a gallon of water for his family and is stand in the tekkia traffic line to get some lentil soup for his hungry siblings.
Mohammed carried the label of "orphan" when his father went to get a bag of flour, and while trying to cross the road in southern Gaza, an Israeli soldier shot him less than a year ago.
شبكة نوى، فلسطينيات: "He told me I want to see you as a global football star, but he was killed before his dream became a reality".
He added, "On that day, my father refused to take me with him, even though I was always by his side wherever he went. It was as if he had known something bad would happen before he left."
He remembered his father's words and said to "Nawa": "My father was the biggest supporter and encouraged me to be a professional football player. He told me I want to see you as a global football star, but he was killed before his dream became a reality."
He continued: "It seems that this dream will remain postponed; now, my family needs me. The war left us without fathers, homes, or dreams."
Yazan Totah, 4 years old, is the sole survivor from his family, and is living with his grandmother and maternal uncle in a refugee camp in the Al Nusairat neighborhood. His grandmother helps him to forget the massacre that happened to his family by encouraging him to play with other children who live in nearby tents.
The story began when Yazan’s parents tried to escape the brutal Israeli bombing with their three children by fleeing to Al-Mamadani Hospital. However, the hospital was also bombed by Israeli forces, killing the entire family. Yazan, only four years old, was the sole survivor—left without parents or siblings. His grandmother now takes care of him amid extremely difficult economic conditions.
The Israeli war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has left 40,000 children orphaned.
Aziza Al-Kahlout, spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza, stated in a press release issued on May 7: "The already limited cash response and other services have been halted due to the liquidity crisis in the Gaza Strip." She noted that 700 children are the only survivors from their families.
The orphans in the Gaza Strip have not received their financial support since the war began, as well as the suspension of other forms of aid, such as material, psychological, and social support.
“The number of orphans before the war was 22,000, and after the war, An additional 40,000 were added” Al-Kahlout said.
“The number of orphans before the war was 22,000, and after the war, An additional 40,000 were added” Al-Kahlout said.
she explained that other orphans were added to the injured and individuals with disabilities lists, pointing out that the ministry, in coordination with its partners, has conducted a preliminary assessment of new orphans in Gaza and identified their needs to secure assistance, including clothing, hygiene kits, and cash aid.
She confirmed that the Ministry is currently coordinating with various entities to reorganize the orphans' file, ensuring the protection of their legal and financial rights. She called on charitable organizations to move beyond financial sponsorship to comprehensive care, even after orphans reach the legal age of 18, by providing them with vocational training and job opportunities, or supporting them with small business projects.
