The United Nations gender equality agency has reported that more than 38,000 women and girls have been killed in the Gaza war. This figure includes at least 22,000 women and 16,000 girls, averaging approximately 47 fatalities per day.
Sofia Calltorp, Chief of Humanitarian Action at the agency, stated in Geneva that the victims were mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. She noted that these killings have persisted in recent months, despite a ceasefire between Hamas fighters and the Israeli military.
Further data indicates that nearly 11,000 women and girls have sustained injuries, with many facing life-altering disabilities. UN Women suggests the actual death toll may be higher, as numerous bodies are believed to be trapped under rubble. Gazan health authorities report over 72,315 Palestinians killed and 172,137 injured in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.
This situation has led to a severe humanitarian emergency in Gaza, where many households are now headed by women who are experiencing increased economic hardship and protection risks.
Families Facing Unprecedented Challenges
Six months after the ceasefire began in Gaza last October, women and girls continue to face significant and ongoing dangers amid critical humanitarian needs and fragile recovery conditions.
“This war has reshaped families. Tens of thousands of households are now headed by women,” Ms. Calltorp emphasized. “Having lost their husbands, they are sustaining their families without income, without support or access to essential services.”
Ms. Calltorp also highlighted a severe lack of essential services, stressing the urgent need for basic necessities, including sexual and reproductive health services and access to sanitary pads. She recounted a visit to Gaza in November where she met two women who had to deliver their babies in the street due to a lack of transportation to functional hospitals.
UN Women is advocating for full respect of the ceasefire, adherence to international law, and an increase in humanitarian assistance. The agency stresses that women and girls must be central to recovery and peacebuilding efforts.
The agency is actively working on the ground in Gaza, collaborating with women-led and women’s rights organizations. In partnership with the UN system, aid partners, and women’s organizations, UN Women aims to deliver life-saving assistance to all women and girls and ensure that women’s organizations receive funding and are represented in decision-making and reconstruction processes.
