New Delhi [India], April 23 (ANI): The State of Palestine Embassy in India on Thursday highlighted a UN Women report titled “The Cost of War in Gaza on Women and Girls,” describing it as evidence of the severe humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian women.
In a statement, the Embassy said the report “sheds light on the devastating impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on Palestinian women.” Quoting the UN analysis, it noted that women and children have borne the brunt of the violence: “More than 70 per cent of those killed are women and children, while nearly one million women and girls have been forcibly displaced—often multiple times and under unsafe conditions—many lacking adequate shelter and access to basic services.”
The Embassy raised alarm about collapsing health services in Gaza, saying “approximately 50,000 pregnant women remain in Gaza, with over 180 births taking place daily under increasingly dangerous and unsanitary conditions, often without adequate maternal care and amid the collapse of the healthcare system.”
Highlighting food insecurity, the statement said “over 90 per cent of the population is facing acute food insecurity, with women and children among the most affected,” and that access to clean water and sanitation has been severely reduced. It also drew attention to the psychological toll, noting “widespread trauma and anxiety, with many forced to assume the role of sole caregivers following the loss or injury of family members.”
The Embassy cited another trend from the report: “many women and girls, including minors, have been compelled to resort to the use of contraceptive pills to delay or avoid menstruation due to severe shortages of personal hygiene supplies and essential care products.”
Urging urgent international action, the Embassy said the findings “reflect not only an immediate humanitarian catastrophe but also the risk of long-term societal consequences,” and called for “concrete measures to ensure the protection of civilians, particularly women, in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
According to the UN, the advocacy brief draws on recent UN Women analysis to document the experiences of women and girls in Gaza since October 2023, using a temporal and gender-focused lens to identify patterns of direct attacks and their impacts. The website said the insights “highlight the urgent need for targeted, gender-responsive action to protect civilians and address the compounding risks faced by women and girls in Gaza.” (ANI)
