Situation In Gaza Worsens: UN Warns Of Dire Threat To Women And Girls

Two United Nations agencies warned on Wednesday that women and girls in Gaza face a "risk of total collapse" as hostilities continue and humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave deteriorate further.

In a joint statement, the Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Regional Director of UN Women in the Arab States said that“time is running out for women and girls in Gaza,” noting that the ongoing Israeli blockade on the entry of humanitarian aid for over a month has pushed the crisis to a“catastrophic” level.

The statement reported that more than 500 children and 270 women have been killed since the resumption of military operations on 18 March. It added that nearly two-thirds of Gaza is now designated as no-go zones, and around 400,000 people have been displaced again to overcrowded areas lacking food, clean water, and medical care.

“There is no safe place,” according to local women's organisations whose testimonies were relayed by UN Women.

The statement highlighted rising hunger and disease risks in makeshift camps without proper sanitation, while families struggle through freezing night temperatures amid severe fuel shortages-posing particular threats to pregnant and nursing women and infants already suffering from acute malnutrition.

The UN officials noted a significant increase in the protection needs of women and girls, as nearly a quarter of safe spaces offering psychosocial support and medical referrals have shut down due to bombardment or lack of resources.

Al-Arqam School in eastern Gaza, which previously hosted a safe haven supported by UNFPA, was destroyed in an airstrike over the weekend, depriving dozens of displaced families of shelter and essential services.

“Girls-particularly orphans or those separated from their families-are at extraordinary risk,” the statement said.

Despite these challenges, women's organisations supported by the two UN agencies continue to operate on the ground, even after hundreds of humanitarian workers were killed or injured over the past 18 months-an act described in the statement as“a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

The agencies called for an immediate ceasefire, the full and unconditional restoration of humanitarian access, and the release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained persons without delay.

“The world cannot turn a blind eye as women and girls are bombed, starved, and silenced,” the statement concluded, stressing that international law must be upheld and violators held accountable.

It underlined that protecting women and girls in Gaza is“not a choice, but a duty,” and that their dignity and rights“must be preserved without exception or condition.”

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