City of Orphans? The Real Story

“City of orphans?� is a phrase that has been applied to several cities at different times, but it most often refers to a place with a strikingly high number of children living without one or both parents. This article explains which cities have been called that, why the label sticks, and what the real numbers and causes are.

Which City Is Called the City of Orphans?

The title has been used for New York City (especially in the 19th century), Moscow (after the Russian Revolution and during the 1990s), and Kampala, Uganda (in recent decades). No single city owns the nickname; it tends to emerge wherever war, disease, or economic collapse leaves a large generation of children without parents. In the 1850s, New York had an estimated 30,000 homeless or orphaned children on its streets, which led to the founding of the Children’s Aid Society and the famous “orphan trains.� In the 1990s, Moscow’s street children were estimated at 50,000, and Kampala has been called the “city of orphans� because of the AIDS epidemic and decades of conflict in northern Uganda.

What Does “Orphan� Actually Mean?

Definitions matter. A double orphan has lost both parents; a single orphan has lost one. Many organizations use “orphan� more broadly to include children who have one living parent but are not being cared for by them. The term “social orphan� describes children whose parents are alive but unable or unwilling to care for them—due to poverty, addiction, or imprisonment. This broader definition dramatically increases the numbers in any city. For example, UNICEF’s global orphan statistics count any child under 18 who has lost one or both parents, which is why the worldwide figure is often cited as 140 million, even though only about 15 million have lost both parents.

Why Do Cities Become “Cities of Orphans�?

Several forces create large orphan populations:

• Disease epidemics – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other illnesses can kill parents in their prime, leaving children behind. In Uganda, the HIV prevalence rate peaked at 18% in the early 1990s, and millions of children lost at least one parent.
• War and conflict – Armed conflict kills parents directly, separates families, and displaces communities. The Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency (1987–2006) forced over 1.5 million people into camps, and many children were abducted or lost their parents.
• Economic collapse – When a country’s economy fails, parents may abandon children they cannot feed, or die from malnutrition and treatable diseases. Russia’s transition from communism in the 1990s saw a dramatic rise in street children as social services collapsed.
• Social disruption – Rapid urbanization, migration for work, and the breakdown of extended family networks can leave children without caregivers even when parents are alive.
• Institutionalization – In some countries, children are placed in orphanages not because they have no parents, but because their parents cannot afford to care for them. This inflates the number of children living in orphanages.

How Many Orphans Are There Really?

Reliable numbers are hard to find because definitions vary and data is often outdated. Here are some approximate figures from the 2010s and 2020s:

• Worldwide – UNICEF estimated 140 million orphans (single or double) in 2015, with 15 million double orphans.
• Uganda – About 2 million orphans, roughly 10% of the child population, according to UNICEF around 2015. Kampala, the capital, has a disproportionate share because of rural-to-urban migration.
• Russia – Official statistics in the 1990s recorded around 600,000 orphans and children left without parental care. The number has declined since, but remains high.
• United States – The U.S. has about 1.5 million children in foster care at some point each year, but only a small fraction are legal orphans. The term “orphanâ€� is rarely used in modern child welfare.

It is important to note that the number of children in orphanages is not the same as the number of orphans. Many children in institutions have at least one living parent. Globally, over 80% of children in orphanages have a living parent, according to a 2017 study by the Better Care Network.

What Happens to Children in Orphanages?

Institutional care is generally harmful to children’s development, especially for those under three. Research shows that children in orphanages often experience delayed cognitive development, attachment disorders, and physical stunting. The famous Romanian orphanages of the 1980s and 1990s demonstrated these effects: children adopted from institutions showed significant improvements when placed in families, but many retained developmental delays. As a result, the global trend is toward deinstitutionalization—moving children into foster care or kinship care. Countries like Uganda and Russia have made commitments to reduce the number of children in institutional care, though progress is slow.

How Can You Help? (If You’re Considering Donating or Volunteering)

If you want to help orphans, the most effective approaches are:

• Support family-based care – Donate to organizations that provide foster care, kinship care, or family reunification services, rather than building or funding orphanages.
• Support education and healthcare – Many orphans live with relatives or in child-headed households. Providing school fees, uniforms, and medical care can keep them in school and healthy.
• Be wary of “voluntourismâ€� – Short-term volunteering in orphanages can actually harm children by creating attachment issues and encouraging institutions to keep children for profit. Instead, volunteer with organizations that support community-based care.
• Advocate for family preservation – Policies that help poor families stay together—such as cash transfers, parental leave, and affordable childcare—are the best way to prevent orphanhood in the first place.

Common Misconceptions

One common myth is that most orphans live in orphanages. In reality, the vast majority live with extended family, in foster care, or in informal arrangements. Another misconception is that orphanages are always terrible. While institutional care is generally worse than family care, some well-run small group homes can provide stability for children who cannot be placed with relatives. However, they are not a substitute for a loving family. A third misconception is that the “city of orphans� label means a city is full of homeless children begging on the streets. While some street children exist, most orphans are hidden within households, often in poverty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New York City still called the “city of orphans�?

No. The nickname is historical, referring to the mid-1800s when tens of thousands of street children lived in the city. Modern New York has a well-developed child welfare system, and the term is not used today.

What is the difference between an orphan and a street child?

An orphan is a child who has lost one or both parents. A street child is a child who lives or works on the streets, often without adult supervision. Many street children are not orphans—they may have parents who are unable to care for them or who have abandoned them.

Why are there so many orphans in Uganda?

Uganda has a high orphan population due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which peaked in the 1990s, and the two-decade-long Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency in the north. These events left many children without parents, and the extended family system has become strained.

Are there more orphans now than in the past?

Globally, the number of orphans has declined since 2000, thanks to lower HIV infection rates and better access to antiretroviral therapy. However, the number of children living without parental care due to poverty and migration may be rising in some regions.

Can I adopt an orphan from another country?

Yes, but international adoption is tightly regulated. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption sets standards to ensure that adoption is in the child’s best interest and that illegal practices are avoided. It is a long and expensive process, and many countries have restricted international adoption to prevent corruption.

What is the best way to support orphans without causing harm?

Support organizations that strengthen families, provide education, and offer community-based care. Avoid donating to orphanages that may be profiting from children, and never engage in “voluntourism� that involves direct care of children without proper training and background checks.

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