As the Gaza conflict enters its fifth month, the UN Women agency notes that The Gaza conflict “is also a war on women”, with an estimated that 9,000 women have been reportedly killed by Israeli forces since the war erupted nearly five months ago.
The UN Women highlights its devastating impact on women, with thousands killed and injured by Israeli forces. Despite affecting all demographics, the war disproportionately targets and harms Gazan women, leaving families shattered and communities reeling.
LOOMING FAMINE AND FOOD INSECURITY
Recent warnings from UN agencies paint a grim picture of looming famine in Gaza, where 2.3 million people face acute food insecurity. A rapid assessment conducted by UN Women revealed alarming statistics, with 84% of surveyed women reporting a significant decrease in their family’s food intake since the conflict’s onset.
At the current rate, an average of 63 women will continue to be killed if the fighting goes on.
Roughly 37 mothers are killed every day, leaving their families devastated and their children with diminished protection.
SACRIFICES OF GAZAN MOTHERS
Amidst food shortages, Gazan mothers bear the brunt of ensuring their children’s survival, often sacrificing their own meals to feed their families. Shockingly, UN Women’s data shows that in 95% of cases where a family member skips a meal, it’s the mother who goes hungry, highlighting the selfless sacrifices made by women in the face of crisis.
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: URGENT NEED FOR CEASEFIRE
Despite the dire situation, many women’s organizations in Gaza are only partially operational, hampering efforts to provide crucial support to those in need. UN Women emphasizes the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of Gazan women and their families. Immediate action is needed to halt the violence, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and mitigate the devastating impact of the conflict on women in Gaza.
THE ESTIMATE
- Every day the war in Gaza continues, at the current rate, an average of 63 women will continue to be killed.
- An estimated 37 mothers are killed every day, leaving their families devastated and their children with diminished protection.
- 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, with mothers and adult women being those tasked with sourcing food, yet eating last, less, and least than everyone else.
- 4 in 5 women (84 per cent) in Gaza indicate that at least one of their family members had to skip meals during the past week. In 95 per cent of those cases, mothers are the ones going without food, skipping at least one meal to feed their children. Gaza’s entire population of 2.3 million people will be facing acute levels of food insecurity within weeks – the highest ever recorded as Gaza is on the verge of starvation.
- Nearly 9 in 10 women (87 per cent) report finding it harder to access food than men. Some women are now resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, such as scavenging for food under rubble or in dumpsters.
- 10 out of 12 women’s organizations surveyed in Gaza reported being partly operational, providing essential emergency response services. Despite their extraordinary efforts, less than 1 per cent of funding raised through the 2023 Flash Appeal has gone to national or local women’s rights organizations. Channelling funding to these organizations is crucial to meet the overwhelming needs of women and their families and communities, and to ensure that the voices of Gazan women do not go unheard.