The agony of Gaza's orphaned children: Left wounded and without any surviving family

Medics in the Gaza Strip have coined a new phrase to describe a specific type of victim of war. The acronym WCNSF, which stands for "wounded child, no surviving family," is frequently used to describe the devastating situation many Gaza children find themselves in. These children's lives are shattered in an instant, as they lose their parents, siblings, and grandparents, and their world is forever changed. The conflict in Gaza began when Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, including approximately 6,000 children. One such child is Ahmed Shabat, who survived an air strike that killed his father, mother, and older brother. Miraculously, Ahmed only suffered minor injuries, and he was reunited with his two-year-old brother after an extended family member located him. However, Ahmed and his brother were left orphaned and without a home, exposed to continuous shelling. Another child, Muna Alwan, also became a war orphan when an air strike killed her parents, brother, and grandfather. Muna's eye was severely injured, and she suffers from significant trauma. Although she has older sisters in Gaza City, they are unable to reach her due to the ongoing conflict. Furthermore, 11-year-old Dunya Abu Mehsen lost her right leg and her entire family in an air strike. She recalls the horrifying scene of her father covered in blood and stones and her own confusion and pain at losing her leg. Dunya is now confined to a wheelchair and dreams of getting a prosthetic leg, becoming a doctor, and living in a world without war. The exact number of orphaned children in Gaza is difficult to determine due to the chaotic and rapidly changing situation on the ground. UNICEF has been working to identify and register these children, but the process is slow and challenging due to crowded shelters and hospitals and an overwhelmed system to reunite children with relatives.