Many children in Gaza have also lost their caregivers amid the violence, leaving them orphaned and highly vulnerable. Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship programme is now a vital lifeline for orphans struggling to survive. Be a lifeline for Gaza's orphans today.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has orphaned thousands of Palestinian children since October 2023. Our Orphan Sponsorship Programme is a lifeline for many of these grieving children, who are struggling to survive relentless attacks and siege. Thanks to our generous supporters, Islamic Relief have massively expanded our programme, tripling the number of children receiving much-needed support. But, as Gaza’s grim death toll continues to climb, over 7,000 children are waiting for sponsorship – they need you now, more than ever.
The total death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 62,000, and tens of thousands of children have been left without parents to care for them.
The ongoing crisis has deeply affected orphaned children, who like many others, have faced displacement, loss, starvation and almost 2 years of bombardment. These dire conditions are made even worse by the loss of their parents’ love, comfort and support.
I miss school, my teachers, my studies… everything
Since the escalation of violence since October 2023, thousands of children have been orphaned.
In Islamic tradition, an orphan is usually a child whose father has passed; they are considered an orphan until reach the age of maturity. Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme supports children who have lost one, or both, of their parents.
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we have expanded our Orphan Sponsorship Programme by more than 70%, with over 21,000 orphaned children in Gaza now sponsored by Islamic Relief.
However, there are currently 7,375 newly orphaned children waiting for the lifeline of sponsorship. You can help.
For 27 years, Islamic Relief has been supporting orphaned children in Gaza through one-to-one sponsorship. Today, Israel’s siege on Gaza means our Orphan Sponsorship Programme is one of the few remaining ways to get real support into the hands of suffering Palestinian families.
We are now introducing 2 more ways our donors can support vulnerable children in Gaza.
Here, we break down the different ways you can be a lifeline to Gaza’s orphans:
Our Orphan Sponsorship Programme will match each sponsor with a specific child, who you support through a monthly stipend provided to their guardian.
This payment was previously earmarked to cover costs associated with the child’s healthcare and education but, amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, families now have full flexibility to use the money as they wish. So they can buy what they most need, whenever goods are available.
The ongoing bombardment of Gaza has often orphaned multiple children within the same family. Many of our donors have expressed their kind wish to sponsor more than 1 child from the same family, which is now possible.
As with one-to-one sponsorship, families receive a monthly stipend for each sponsored child, with the flexibility to use the funds to buy what they most need.
Donations to the General Orphans Fund are pooled together to support orphans in need of extra care, assist their guardians, and provide financial support to those in greatest need.
Rather than a direct, one-to-one sponsorship, this donation goes towards providing critical care and support to orphaned children enrolled in the Orphan Sponsorship Programme.
Examples of how funds have been used in the past include covering healthcare costs, and supporting an orphan whose sponsor has been unable to continue giving.
You can choose to donate regularly to the General Orphans Fund or give what you can as a one-off donation. Every generous donation eases the burdens of families struggling to survive.
Be a lifeline for Gaza’s orphans. Please donate today – Palestinian children need your help now.
Children are a gift from Allah, and a trust, or Amanah – to be cared for and nurtured in the best possible way.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasised the status of orphans, and the importance of fulfilling their needs.
Whoever caresses the head of an orphan (in affection), solely for the sake of Allah, a good deed will be written to his account for every hair over which he passed his hand, and whoever treated an orphan (boy or girl) with goodness and kindness, he and I will be close to each-other in Heaven as these two fingers.
With your continued support, Islamic Relief will continue to be a lifeline for orphan children in Gaza and Palestine. We’re not only transforming futures; we’re saving lives.
Your charity can help save a life and support orphans and children in need today.
See how your sponsorship is transforming the lives of orphans in Gaza.
Many of our donors are extremely keen to support people in desperate need in Gaza. While the scale and the duration of the crisis can leave observers feeling hopeless at times, orphan sponsorship is a lifeline to families in Gaza, putting money directly into the hands of those who need it most.
Here, we answer some of the questions our teams most commonly receive:
We are supporting more than 21,000 orphaned children in Gaza with an unconditional monthly stipend through our Orphan Sponsorship Programme. This means we do not place any restrictions on how families choose to spend their money, trusting that they know best how to meet their most urgent needs. Wherever possible, we also ensure families with orphaned children are included in our seasonal distributions, receiving Ramadan and qurbani food parcels, Eid gifts, and winter survival items.
These families come from all over Gaza, including North Gaza, Gaza City, Rafah, the Middle Area and Khan Younis – but almost all are now forcibly displaced. Israel has declared over 86% of Gaza as off limits to Palestinians, so most people now live in severely overcrowded pockets of western Gaza and the Middle Area.
The Orphan Sponsorship Programme is the most reliable way Islamic Relief can provide support to people in Gaza in the current dangerous and changeable situation.
Electronic transfers enable us to get your donations directly into the accounts of the families of orphaned children, despite bank closures and bypassing the high fees charged by informal money lenders. It also avoids placing families and our staff and partners in further danger as they do not have to make an additional journey to physically collect the funds.
We use electronic cash transfers to put money directly into the accounts of families, making funds available to allow them to circumvent the cash crisis. Prior to the current crisis, the stipends were limited to covering health and education expenses, but we now give the money on an unconditional basis, meaning families can use it to buy what they most need when it is available.
Through the payment system, families are notified that payments have been made to their e-Wallets, which they are able to use to withdraw money from functioning supermarkets
The system allows Islamic Relief to see which families have redeemed their codes, and has become a helpful tool in checking in on the welfare of families enrolled in the programme.
Without a reliable electricity supply, people in Gaza have had to find other ways to keep their phones and other devices charged, with a heavy reliance on solar power.
Prior to October 2023, families could use the monthly stipend to cover costs associated with the child’s education and healthcare. We have since expanded this so the money is unconditional, meaning families can use the money to pay for whatever they need most. In 2023, we also introduced a new pricing model, meaning most families’ stipend is now larger.
While the blockade has created severe shortages of most basic items and inflation has skyrocketed, this does not mean there is nothing at all in Gaza’s markets.
In reality, the availability of items and their prices change day to day. Our staff have described an exhausting routine of heading out first thing each morning to see what basic items might be available.
The situation is extremely difficult, especially as many people have lost their livelihoods and banks are closed. Families receiving a monthly stipend through our Orphan Sponsorship Programme can rely on having that money to spend, whenever the items they need are
The situation has improved slightly of late, with some commercial goods now entering Gaza. More items are available, and prices have slightly reduced, though they remain very high in relation to pre-October 2023.
Almost 90% of Gaza’s population has become displaced, often multiple times. In this situation, our staff and partners are doing their utmost to check in with families enrolled on our Orphan Sponsorship Programme as much as possible.
We stay in contact with families by phone and through WhatsApp groups. Our team is also in regular contact with the guardians of orphaned children to check that they have redeemed their monthly stipend via our payment system. If families have not redeemed their stipend and are uncontactable, our staff reach out to their families and neighbours for more information.
Tragically, 175 children and young people enrolled on our Orphan Sponsorship Programme have been killed since October 2023. This number includes people over the age of 18, who were enrolled on the Orphan Sponsorship Programme as children.
If a sponsored child is killed in Gaza, we continue to support the family to avoid adding to their hardship. With the sponsor’s agreement, we commit to a period of continued support through sponsorship.
Regardless of where they live, orphaned children are vulnerable and in need of support, but those enduring life in Gaza right now face a mountain of additional challenges.
To help orphaned children and their guardians cope, we have made the monthly stipend they receive unconditional, meaning it can be used to buy whatever they need most at any given time.
This is different to other countries and territories, where the monthly stipend can generally only be used to cover costs associated with education and healthcare.
Yes, donors will receive updates on the child they’ve sponsored. It is our aim to provide annual updates, but the situation on the ground has meant that there can be delays in gathering this information and sharing it with donors.
Children enrolled in our Orphan Sponsorship Programme generally receive support until the age of 18. While sponsoring a child in Gaza now is vital to supporting their survival by allowing families to purchase basics like food, beyond the current crisis, the money can be used to help children build brighter futures.
This might look like new school uniforms for children returning to school, textbooks for university students, or vital rehabilitative care to help children who have sustained injuries improve their quality of life.
We urge sponsors and those considering sponsorship to make a lasting commitment to a child in need.
Islamic Relief has been supporting vulnerable people in Gaza throughout the current crisis, and for decades. Israel’s assault has turned Gaza into the most dangerous place in the world to deliver aid, targeting and displacing humanitarian workers. Despite the huge challenges, our staff and partners are doing everything they can to keep providing aid.
At the moment, as well as through our Orphan Sponsorship Programme, we are providing cash assistance as part of the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and providing maternal healthcare. The latter includes scans, medication, and the delivery of babies, including through surgery.
We are also continuing to support people through emergency distributions, when possible. Distributions delivered since the crisis began include hot meals, water and hygiene kits.
We will always treat your personal information with the utmost care and will keep it private (read our privacy policy). You can opt out at any time by contacting us via email at IslamicReliefWorldwide@irworldwide.org or by clicking the unsubscribe button on one of the emails you receive from us.
Zia Salik was appointed Interim Director of Islamic Relief UK in 2025, and brings with him over 18 years of third sector experience. He has held several leadership roles within Islamic Relief UK, including National Events Coordinator, National Community Fundraising Manager, Head of Fundraising, and Deputy Director. Zia has led national fundraising strategies, managed large-scale campaigns and events, and contributed significantly to volunteer development, donor engagement and public outreach.
As Interim Director, Zia oversees multiple teams and contributes to strategic planning, operational leadership and organisational growth. He is recognised for his expertise in major donor management, public speaking, media engagement and community fundraising. Zia has been instrumental in building strong community networks and delivering impactful campaigns.
Before joining Islamic Relief, Zia served as Programmes Manager at Humber All Nations Alliance, where he led organisational growth, project delivery and funding proposals.
Zia is a seasoned leader committed to social justice, who brings a collaborative, mission-driven approach to his work, helping to amplify voices and maximise impact in the charity sector.
Nadeem has a wealth of experience from the charity, statutory and private sectors. He is the Managing Director of HAD (a division of IRW) which is a centre of excellence seeking to empower the humanitarian sector and maximise its effectiveness and from October 2025 will serve as our interim CEO.
Before joining Islamic Relief, for nearly a decade at the General Medical Council — a globally recognised professional regulator — Nadeem managed strategic relationships with Chief Medical Officers and senior leaders. Prior to that, he served as the UK Director of Islamic Help, engaging closely with many international non-governmental organisations and playing a key role in fundraising and media activities.
In 2000, Nadeem was admitted as a solicitor. He spent nearly 8 years as a Partner at a law firm specialising in employment, regulatory and charity law. He has published papers, including in the Modern Law Review, and chapters in books.
Nadeem is deeply committed to strengthening civil society organisations and the charity sector, and throughout his career has focused on improving foundations for future generations and building strong networks. Nadeem has particular expertise working in matters of Learning and Development, especially personal and professional development, combining Islamic principles with modern techniques and interventions. He is also especially interested in psychological perspectives and cognitive distortions. He has designed and delivered training to thousands of people for nearly 3 decades.
As well as individual development and growth, Nadeem has spent 20 years working with organisations to manage and lead people to improve outcomes and efficiencies. He is a Consultant Coach, qualified at ILM Level 5 in Effective Coaching and Mentoring and ILM Level 7 in Executive and Senior Leadership Coaching. He was Chair of the Independent Advisory Group for the Professional Standards Department of West Midlands Police for 4 years, where he was awarded recognition for his ‘Outstanding Work.’
Saqeb Mueen
Asha joined Islamic Relief in 2025 with the aim of working with colleagues to create an environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and motivated to contribute meaningfully to our shared mission.
Asha has more than 20 years of experience in HR leadership across a range of industries, holding roles at Thomson Reuters, BMW, Movado Group and others. She is passionate about building strong, resilient teams and fostering positive workplace cultures where individuals are empowered to thrive, contribute and do their best work.
Asha holds a BA in Management, Economics and Law, as well as a BA in Business Studies. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.
Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.
Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.
Nadeem Azhar
Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.
He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.
Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.
Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.
Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.
Salaheddin joined Islamic Relief UK in 2006 and over the next 7 years held multiple roles, including Community Fundraiser and Campaigns Manager, before joining Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2013.
Since then, Salaheddin has been instrumental in the launch and growth of new Islamic Relief member offices in Ireland, Spain, Norway and Finland, as well as providing essential support and guidance to existing members, including Italy, where he served as CEO for 3 years.
In 2023, Salaheddin became Deputy Director of Global Family Development and in this role has continued to play a crucial part in steering Islamic Relief’s growth and expansion. He has also led global fundraising and media engagement for major emergencies including the Türkiye-Syria earthquake and Libya floods. Salaheddin became the Interim Director of Global Family Development in 2025.
Salaheddin holds a master’s degree in International Development and is actively involved in several community-led initiatives. He is currently the Vice President of the International Union of Muslim Scouts and Deputy Chair of the UK Muslim Scouts Fellowship as well as Chair of the South Birmingham Muslim Community Association.
Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.
Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.
Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.
Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.
With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.