Sara Hendricks, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), has issued a stark warning about the impact of the Israeli occupation forces’ escalation in Gaza, describing it as a “deep crisis” not witnessed in the region for decades. She emphasized the vital need to identify and address the specific and urgent needs and vulnerabilities of women in the region.
Hendricks noted that women in Gaza are currently enduring an extremely challenging and dark period. The UN Women expressed deep concern over the effects of this situation on the lives of women and girls and called for the immediate protection of women and girls in the occupied Palestinian territories. She also stressed the urgent necessity for a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes.
Furthermore, the UN Women has conducted a new assessment, a rapid humanitarian response, to shed light on the profound impact of the ongoing conflict on people in Gaza, with a special focus on women and girls. Hendricks pointed out that the devastating bombardment of Gaza has resulted in 5,087 fatalities since October 7th, including 2,055 children and 1,119 women. She highlighted that the persistent hostilities and their extremely grave humanitarian consequences create specific risks and vulnerabilities for women in Gaza.
The UN Women official emphasized that even before the recent crisis and escalation in Gaza, the situation was dire. She stated, “It was already extremely terrible, and this situation has now significantly deteriorated.” Hendricks stated that over 500,000 women and girls have been displaced from their homes in Gaza at this stage.
Additionally, their estimates indicate that violence has led to the creation of nearly 900 new female-headed households (after the loss of their husbands). Even before the outbreak of violence, the Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2023 reported that 668,000 individuals, particularly women and girls, approximately 30% of the population, required protection from gender-based violence.
