In times of complex crises, when normality is shattered by the brutal consequences of an all-out war that leaves no one safe and forces scores of people to displace, women and girls become extremely exposed to all kinds of risks.
The massive displacement Gaza’s population is currently experiencing as a result of Israeli military operations is no exception. Nearly 1 million women and girls have been displaced, and more than 17,000 have reportedly been killed since the war began.
Shelters for internally displaced people (IDPs) are unbearably overcrowded with little or no privacy, especially for women and girls. Tens of thousands of people are living in makeshift tents inside UNRWA’s educational centres, places once dedicated to learning activities which have turned into massive camps without access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
“Many women don’t eat and drink enough not only because there is not enough to go around, but also to limit the time they have to spend going to use the filthy and unsanitary restroom facilities,” says the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Director of Communications, Juliette Touma.
“The shortage and scarcity of sanitary pads in the local market has a psychological and physical impact on women,” says Maysa, associate protection officer with UNRWA.
Women and girls are forced to resort to home-made, makeshift alternatives negatively impacting their health by putting them at risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections and protection-related risks. In addition, such methods increase their embarrassment, anxiety and insecurity, negatively impacting their psychological wellbeing.
In Gaza there are over 690,000 menstruating women and adolescent girls who require menstrual hygiene products, in addition to access to clean water, toilets and privacy. Unfortunately, UNRWA cannot meet the high demand for hygiene kits as stocks have either totally run out or are at critically low levels.
“The scarcity of this product in the markets has led to increased prices, making it difficult for displaced individuals to afford them,” says UNRWA’s Doctor, Nisreen.
The EU funds UNRWA to support the provision of shelter items, including non-food items such as hygiene kits, which were delivered to over 80,000 families as of January 2024.
* data and figures refer to the situation as of January 2024
