"Wounded child, no surviving family" (WCNSF) is amedical andhumanitarian crisis term which appeared during thehumanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of the outbreak of theGaza war in 2023.[1][2][3][4][5] The term was first reported byDoctors Without Borders (MSF) in November 2023.[4][6]
By March 2024, it was estimated that 17,000 children were part of this category.[7]
As of February 2025, theUnited Nations has reported roughly 25,000 such cases in Gaza; with no relatives left, clinicians become the children’s sole caregivers and advocates, which complicates treatment decisions and long-term care planning. Disrupted access to healthcare also triggers cascading physical, psychological, and social harms that demand responses beyond routine medical practice. Providers must address immediate needs as well as rehabilitation, mental-health support, and coordination with social services without family involvement. These challenges differ markedly from typical adult care.[8]
The crisis has been amplified by theGaza Strip famine and Israel'sevacuation orders, which have limited the ability of humanitarian organisations to find caregivers for WCNSF cases.[9]
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