War, Displacement and the Children Left Behind in Gaza and Throughout the World
- ajoyce140
- Apr 11
- 5 min read
This blog is written in honor of International Day for Street Children, for every orphaned child who wanders the streets in search of safety, warmth, and the love that so many others are fortunate to know. May you one day find that safe place, and may it be filled with peace, comfort, care and hope.
What the World Should Know
Since its inception in 2011, April 12th has become a day of global recognition for children living on the streets. International Day for Street Children recognizes the humanity, dignity, and courage of these vulnerable children, who persevere despite incomprehensible hardships.
The issue of children living on the streets is not limited to a specific country or region, it is a global crisis. According to the United Nations, there are an estimated 150 million street children worldwide. However, the real number is likely even higher, as many children lack birth certificates and remain unregistered, invisible to government systems.
Why Do So Many Innocent Children Live or Work on the Street?
Poverty, family violence, war, displacement, and child trafficking are just some of the many reasons children end up on the streets. Left to fend for themselves, they survive through scavenging, begging, and, in some cases, illegal activities. Orphaned children are especially vulnerable, particularly when there are no relatives to care for them or when government support systems are lacking.
Some of these children do have families but due to extreme poverty, parents face the heartbreaking decision of sending their children to the streets to earn money, believing it’s the only alternative to starvation at home.
Nine-Year-Old Hissan’s Story
Nine-year-old Hissan’s life has been marked by hardship. He has a few memories of his parents or the home where he was born. Delivered by his malnourished mother on the dirt floor of a primitive one-room shack, Hissan’s struggles began from birth.
By the age of three, his father, who worked in a brick kiln, died from injuries sustained on the job. His mother, Aisha, fled with Hissan and his older brother to Karachi, hoping to find food or money by begging in the city streets. Unfortunately, tragedy struck again. Just 18 months after arriving in the city, Aisha vanished without a trace, likely falling victim to human trafficking networks operating in the slums. With no other family and no government agency even aware of their existence, the two boys were left entirely on their own.
Five years later, they survive by begging and stealing to feed themselves. They sleep on cardboard boxes behind a trash dump. It is unsanitary and smelly, but the trash dump is also where they scavenge for scraps to eat or sell.
Like thousands of other children living on the streets, Hissan and his brother are homeless, out of school, and exposed to abuse, exploitation, malnutrition, and serious health risks. Too often, society labels children like them as “beggars,” “juvenile delinquents,” or “thieves.” These harmful labels ignore the reality: these children are owed care, protection, the same respect that every child deserves.
It’s important to remember that street children are not just victims of their circumstances, they are resilient individuals with potential.
How You Can Help
Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) has supported orphaned children worldwide through its Orphan Sponsorship Program for more than thirty years. Thousands of children benefit daily from generous sponsors who help provide nutritious meals, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and education.
LIFE’s program offers everything these children need to avoid falling through the cracks and ending up on the streets. Instead, they’re given the chance to grow up with dignity and dream of a better future.
One-time donations to LIFE’s General Orphan Fund also make a meaningful impact. Through LIFE’s holistic approach to orphan care, your support helps bring joy to these children and gives them the priceless gift of feeling loved and valued.
This year, during Eid al-Fitr, LIFE arranged Global Orphan Parties in 18 countries, bringing joy to thousands of children. These events give orphans a day to simply be a kid, free from worry, enjoying delicious food, gifts, entertainment, and games.
LIFE’s Outreach in Gaza
This past Eid al-Fitr, 200 displaced orphans in Deir Al-Balah, South Gaza Strip attended the LIFE Global Orphan Party. The event brought the children a sense of community, hope, and happiness after enduring so much hardship.
LIFE’s Orphan Sponsorship Program currently supports 1,200 orphaned children in Gaza. After more than a year of ongoing conflict and devastation, the number of orphaned and impoverished Palestinian children is growing rapidly.
Today in Gaza, children continue to search among the rubble, not only for food and water but also for missing family members. Reuniting families has become increasingly difficult, and in many cases, no one is left to return to.
As of April 11, 2025, the borders to Gaza have been closed for approximately six weeks, since early March. This prolonged closure has severely hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid, creating critical shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Despite these challenges, LIFE’s Gaza Relief Program remains fully prepared to deliver aid the moment the borders reopen. Our teams are on standby, and logistics are in place to ensure rapid deployment of food, shelter, and medical supplies.
Your support makes all the difference. Donating now allows us to continue stockpiling and preparing life-saving goods so that we can act immediately when access is granted. Every child is born innocent and worthy of protection and love. By donating to LIFE, you can offer hope to children like Hissan and thousands of others who are fighting to survive on the streets.
Your generosity can change a child’s life today—and help guide them toward a brighter tomorrow.
References
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Children Working and/or Living on the Street. United Nations, 2012. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc1970-protection-and-promotion-rights-children-working-andor-living-street.
Beaumont, Peter. “Six Weeks since Israel Imposed Total Gaza Blockade, the Last Food Is Running Out.” Reuters, 9 Apr. 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/six-weeks-since-israel-imposed-total-gaza-blockade-last-food-is-running-out-2025-04-09.
