New Delhi, April 23 (ANI) — The State of Palestine Embassy in India on Thursday highlighted a recent UN Women brief, The Cost of War in Gaza on Women and Girls, as evidence of a deepening humanitarian emergency for Palestinian women and girls.
In a statement, the Embassy said the UN analysis exposes the heavy toll of the conflict on women and children, noting that more than 70% of those killed are women and children and that nearly 1 million women and girls have been forcibly displaced, frequently multiple times and often in unsafe conditions without adequate shelter or access to basic services.
The Embassy warned that Gaza’s health system is collapsing, leaving about 50,000 pregnant women in the territory and resulting in more than 180 births each day under increasingly dangerous and unsanitary circumstances, with many deliveries occurring without sufficient maternal care.
Food insecurity and the erosion of water and sanitation services were also emphasized: the brief finds that over 90% of the population faces acute food insecurity, with women and children among the worst affected. The statement drew attention to the psychological impact of the conflict, describing widespread trauma and anxiety and noting that many women have become sole caregivers after the death or injury of family members.
The Embassy highlighted another alarming trend recorded by UN Women: shortages of personal hygiene and essential care products have driven some women and girls, including minors, to use contraceptive pills to delay or avoid menstruation.
Urging urgent international action, the Embassy said the findings point not only to an immediate humanitarian catastrophe but also to potential long-term social consequences. It called for concrete measures to protect civilians, particularly women, and for adherence to international humanitarian law.
UN Women’s brief draws on recent analysis to document experiences of women and girls in Gaza since October 2023, using a gender-focused approach to identify patterns of direct attacks and their effects. The organization stresses the need for targeted, gender-responsive interventions to protect civilians and address the compounding risks faced by women and girls in Gaza.
