what is an orphan

what is an orphan

1 year ago 38
Nature

An orphan is a person who has lost one or both parents. However, in common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mothers condition is usually relevant. Some definitions used to identify orphans include a minor bereft through "death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from, both parents". The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), and other groups label any child who has lost one parent as an orphan. In this approach, a maternal orphan is a child whose mother has died, a paternal orphan is a child whose father has died, and a double orphan is a child/teen/infant who has lost both parents. Orphans often spend lots of time looking for friends or surrogates to fill the gap left by their deceased parents.

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