In Focus: Supporting women and girls affected by the war on Gaza
Women and girls in Gaza continue to face death, widespread displacement, severe deprivation and catastrophic levels of hunger.
UN Women is on the ground, working with women-led organizations providing lifesaving services – and centering women’s leadership to guide response and recovery.
The situation
Since October 2023, Israeli airstrikes and land military operations have devastated the Gaza Strip. More than 38,000 women and girls have been killed, and close to 11,700 have sustained injuries so devastating that they are now living with lifelong disabilities.
Nearly one million women and girls have been displaced. Access to water and food have been so severely limited that nearly 702,000 women and girls are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between July and December 2026. Extensive damage to infrastructure has made it almost impossible for women and girls in Gaza to access essential services like health care.
Nearly 1 in 4 households in Gaza is headed by a woman. Having lost their husbands, many of these women are sustaining their families alone – without income, without support, and without access to essential services.
UN Women calls for:
- The full implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza and respect for international law
- Accountability for violations and the protection of women and girls
- Humanitarian assistance to reach those in need at scale and without obstruction
- The meaningful inclusion of women and girls at the centre of all response and recovery efforts
UN Women’s humanitarian action in Occupied Palestinian Territory
UN Women has been present in Palestine since 1997, supporting the rights of Palestinian women and girls. We remain on the ground to provide humanitarian assistance and to support women-led organizations.
