Carrying metal thermoses through the streets of Gaza City, 15-year-old Mohammed Ashour sells coffee to passersby. At an age when he should be in school, Mohammed has left his education after his father was killed in the war and now supports his family as their primary earner.
“This burden isn’t mine to carry,” Mohammed says. “Carrying the thermoses and cups, walking back and forth — it wears me out. I’m exhausted, but I have no choice if I am to provide for my siblings.”
Mohammed is one of a growing number of children across Gaza pushed into work because of the conflict. With at least 39,000 children reported to have lost one or both parents and the enclave’s economy devastated, some children as young as eight are taking on income-generating tasks to keep families afloat — sacrificing schooling, safety and much of their childhood.
“After his father was killed, we had no income at all,” says his mother, Atad Ashour. “My older sons cannot find work and I cannot provide for the household. He is still a child, but he carries responsibilities that are not his. The circumstances forced us into this.”
Aid organisations report a sharp rise in dangerous and exploitative coping strategies among families. UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram says, “We’re seeing more children scavenging through waste for scrap or firewood to sell, and children selling coffee. We are working with partners to provide cash assistance, raise awareness of the risks of child labour and help families resume safe livelihoods.”
Rachel Cummings, Gaza humanitarian director for Save the Children, adds that the breakdown of family structures is pushing children into caregiving roles for siblings and elderly relatives: “The family’s structure has been disrupted across Gaza and children are extremely vulnerable. This precarious situation is taking a heavy toll.”
The scale of the crisis is stark: more than 660,000 children are out of formal education, and an estimated 132,000 face the risk of acute malnutrition, according to humanitarian assessments. Nearly half of Gaza’s population is under 18, amplifying the long-term consequences of lost schooling and childhood trauma.
Children working to provide basic needs face short- and long-term harms — from interrupted learning and physical strain to heightened risks of exploitation and poor health. Humanitarian groups continue to deliver emergency cash, nutritional support and protection programs, but needs far outstrip available resources.
As he finishes another long day, Mohammed walks past a school and wishes he were inside it. “If my father were alive, you’d find me at home going to school,” he says.
