- Numerous petitions advocating for the UK Government to allow overseas adoption of Gaza’s children have been signed. However, what are the safety concerns?
- Many Gazan orphans have undergone amputations, leading psychologists to assert that this experience is inflicting profound trauma.
At least 17,000 children, or one per cent of Gaza’s overall displaced population of 1.7 million, are thought to be orphaned in the Gaza Strip, according to an estimate from Unicef. It merits mention that these statistics have not received official updates since February.
Since October 7th, there have been filled hospital wards and displacement camps in Gaza with children classified as ‘WCNSF’ – ‘Wounded Child, No Surviving Family’. Rarely, if ever, have so many children been orphaned in such a short period.
Audrey McMahon, a psychiatrist for Doctors Without Borders, said the creation of so many orphans posed a major humanitarian and moral challenge.
“The WCNSF acronym is unprecedented in modern day history and should terrify, shock, and even shame anyone who reflects on it. It’s a moral injury to humanity,” she said.
Dr Filippo Dionigi, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bristol, says, “These are children that will have trouble accessing any kind of service that can effectively address their situation in the long term. An adoption programme will not work for these big numbers in the short or medium term,” he said.
He added that “uprooting” them would add another level of trauma. “These children need substantial support there, and they need to be able to rebuild some sort of network to support them at a relational level.”
Dr Dionigi highlighted the risk of statelessness for the Gazan orphans – which can happen if their documents are lost or not in order – pointing to the children orphaned in Syria as a recent bleak example.
“Statelessness is serious and it’s a plague, it means you are basically cut out of any institutional support network,” he said.
“Will they be able to provide education to 17,000 children in that psychological situation without a proper family network behind them? I find it a daunting task in what is already a devastating humanitarian crisis.”
Riham Jafari, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, said that the extended family system in Gaza was “very strong” and would play an integral role in supporting and caring for orphaned and separated children.
Razan is one of those children. The 11-year-old survived a strike on her uncle’s home in Gaza City in early December, in which most of family were killed, including her mother, father, brother, and two sisters.
Her left leg was also injured in the blast and had to be amputated above the knee. She is now being taken care of by her aunt and uncle, all of whom have been displaced for the past two months in Rafah.
“All I want to do is play. I really don’t like just being here sitting all day,” she said, in comments provided by Unicef Palestine. When asked what she wishes for now, she replied: “I really want a new life.”
McMahon said children who had been orphaned and lost limbs were “facing several circles of just unbelievable grief”.
“They would already be traumatised, grieving the loss of body parts and learning how to be disabled,” she said. “They also have to deal with the loss of many family members, the loss of their homes. They’ve lost everything.”
Even before October 7th, there were more than 500,000 children in need of mental health and psychosocial support in Gaza, according to Unicef.
“It’s trauma upon trauma upon trauma, and I think that puts these children at really high risk,” said Dr Ramzi Nasir, a consultant neurodevelopmental paediatrician at Imperial College NHS Trust.
Dr Nasir warned that trauma in early childhood often impacts children for life, impacting their physical as well as mental health.
Unicef and its partners have provided mental health and psychosocial support to more than 40,000 children and 10,000 caregivers since October 7th. But McMahon fears that this care won’t even scratch the surface.
“The children of Gaza were already suffering with very high levels of psychological distress … what’s happening now will have life lasting implications,” she said.
Orphans are referenced 23 times in the Qur’an, elevating their status and bestowing upon them a heightened sense of dignity.
Prophet Muhammed (saw) said:
“I will be like this in Jannah with the person who takes care of an orphan.”
Prophet Mohammed (saw) raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab)
Adopting a Palestinian child from the UK
Petitions like ‘Allow Palestinian Children to Enter the UK During Ongoing Conflict’ (with 9,677 signatures since October 26, 2023) and the Change.org petition ‘Welcome Palestinian Orphans into UK Homes’ (garnering 70,205 signatures since October 22, 2023) showcase the sincere efforts of the British people to extend support to Palestinian orphans.
Should the UK proceed to legalise adoption for Gazan children, the glaring irony would be undeniable, given the UK’s involvement in aiding the ongoing genocide.
Even if there were organisations desiring to facilitate adoption services from Gaza, implementing the necessary safeguarding procedures to prevent child trafficking or unintended separation from potentially surviving family members would be impractical at present. Moreover, adoption from countries lacking such processes is illegal.
How can Muslims interested in adopting orphans from our bleeding ummah proceed?
Prominent organisations such as the Refugee Council advocate for enhanced asylum procedures, which would greatly benefit Palestinians seeking refuge. Their campaign for a just and compassionate asylum system has garnered 45,218 endorsements and welcomes further backing.
According to findings from a freedom of information study conducted by Tay Jiva in 2015, an estimated 1,500 Muslim children are placed in non-Muslim foster care annually due to the lack of available Muslim fostering households. It is therefore recommended that those with a spare room and a desire to aid vulnerable children should contemplate fostering those already residing in the UK and awaiting a nurturing environment.
There is a specific demand for foster caregivers for sibling groups, older children (aged 5 and above), children with additional needs, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors.
Most unaccompanied minors, predominantly teenage boys aged 14 to 17, hail from countries such as Sudan, Iran, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Albania, Ethiopia, and Syria (Refugee Council). These children have endured the ravages of war and require the support of empathetic families.
