‘Marathon’ shines light on Gaza’s orphaned children and humanitarian crisis
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- INH Indonesia organized a children's "marathon" in Khan Younis on Friday, drawing orphaned children from across Gaza to raise awareness and encourage sponsorship for affected families.
- UNICEF reports more than 58,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since October 2023, with roughly 17,000 unaccompanied or separated from their families — what the agency calls one of the largest child protection crises facing Gaza's children.
- Gaza health officials say more than 73,000 people have been killed since October 2023, while over 1 million children require protection and psychosocial support due to the war.
- Saif Hijazi, 13, watched the race from a wheelchair after being paralyzed by Israeli artillery shelling near his family's tent in January 2025; his father, Rami, was killed in an Israeli strike on the family home in January 2024.
- Organizers symbolically honored 100 orphaned children at the finish line, calling Saif's name first "as a tribute to his courage and the journey he has endured since losing his father."
- Samah Abu Amra, a 43-year-old displaced widow from Rafah now caring for five children alone, said orphans of this war are receiving less support than in previous conflicts, urging sustained attention beyond temporary assistance.
Why it matters: With more than 58,000 children orphaned since October 2023 and roughly 17,000 separated from families, Gaza faces a generational child-protection crisis that extends well beyond the war's end — and INH Indonesia's own coordinator acknowledged the organization "cannot reach all of them." Without sustained international sponsorship for surviving caregivers like Warda Hijazi and Samah Abu Amra, the gap between need and aid widens daily.
