Updated 11 June 2024
After the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, followed by the Israeli Armed Forces’ strikes on Gaza, UN Women has worked to analyse the differentiated impact on women, men, boys, and girls, to ensure adequate responses to their needs.
The war on Gaza has become one of the world’s most brutal man-made humanitarian crises. The war has directly impacted more than 2.2 million people, resulting in an unprecedented number of civilians killed, alongside overwhelming displacement. Since 7 October 2023, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,000 women, and an estimated 82,000 people have been injured. More than 4 out of 5 women (84 per cent) report that their family eats half or less of the food they used to before the war began, and 87 per cent report finding it harder to access food than men.
The Israeli incursion into Rafah has led to the displacement of nearly 800,000 people since May 2024, many of whom had already been displaced multiple times since October 2023. In tandem, the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has also deteriorated, with more than 500 people killed and 5,000 injured since 7 October. As the death toll increases, severe humanitarian needs continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, in a context where needs were already dire before the current escalation.
“We are witnessing a destruction and killing of civilians, UN personnel, humanitarians, and journalists at an unprecedented scale”, said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous in a recent speech. UN Women calls for immediate implementation of the resolution adopted by the Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,
“We call on the immediate and safe delivery of humanitarian aid across Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to occupation, and for a return to a path to peace, a peace that is just and comprehensive and that is inclusive of the crucial voices and leadership of women”, Bahous said. “This is our only hope for the future we want.”
See below to read more from the women affected by the war and what UN Women is doing amid this humanitarian catastrophe.
UN Women has been supporting Palestinian women since 1997 to achieve their social, economic, and political rights. We remain present on the ground to provide support and assistance and will do so for as long as it takes.
Latest on the crisis
Voices from Gaza
Resources
Gender alert: Voices of Strength
The war on Gaza has become one of the world’s most brutal man-made humanitarian crises. The war on Gaza remains, among other things, a war on women. Over the past eight months of the war, UN Women has been documenting how the lives of women and girls have deteriorated across sectors, including food security, water, shelter, health, and safety. This Gender Alert is on the work of Women-Led Organizations (WLOs).
Gender alert: Scarcity and fear
Since the start of the war, UN Women has been documenting the experiences of women in Gaza in a series of gender alerts that look at various aspects of how the war is impacting the daily lives of women and girls, including food, water, shelter, health, and protection. This new alert is the latest in this series, and it focuses on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, which are integral to women’s health, dignity, safety, and privacy.
Gender alert: The gendered impact of the crisis in Gaza
This document provides an overview of the situation in Gaza and articulates UN Women’s work as part of its six-month multisectoral response to the crisis.
UN Women Palestine 6-month response framework
This document articulates UN Women’s 6-month plan to respond to the needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while reflecting the distinct and rapidly evolving realities on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
UN Women rapid assessment and humanitarian response in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
This document provides a preliminary analysis of the impact of the crisis on women and outlines UN Women’s humanitarian response to the crisis and provides asks and recommendations for key actors and the international community.
