The Unbearable Plight of Women and Girls in Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

The Unbearable Plight of Women and Girls in Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

MOHAN KHOUND

As I write this, the harrowing reality faced by one million women and girls in Gaza weighs heavily on my conscience.

The escalating humanitarian crisis in the region, as highlighted by a recent UN Women statement, paints a grim picture of mass starvation, relentless violence, and unimaginable suffering.

Malnutrition is rampant, essential services have long since collapsed, and women are forced into desperate survival strategies just to keep themselves and their families alive. This is not just a crisis-it is an unconscionable tragedy that demands immediate global attention.

The situation in Gaza is nothing short of catastrophic. According to UN Women, one million women and girls are grappling with acute food insecurity, with many facing the impossible choice of starving in their shelters or risking death to scavenge for food and water.

“This is horrific, unconscionable, and unacceptable. It is inhumane,” said Sima Bahous, UN Women’s Executive Director, words that resonate deeply as I reflect on the scale of this suffering. Women-led organizations in Gaza report that mothers are resorting to boiling discarded food scraps to feed their children, while others brave sniper fire and airstrikes to find even a morsel of sustenance. The absence of basic supplies-sanitary products, clean water, medical care-has stripped women and girls of their dignity and safety.

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The numbers are staggering and heart-wrenching. Over 28,000 women and girls have been killed in the ongoing conflict, many of them mothers whose deaths leave behind vulnerable children and elderly relatives with no protection or caregivers. Pregnant women are enduring pregnancies without adequate nutrition, forced to give birth in perilous conditions without access to clean water, medical supplies, or trained professionals.

Reports from humanitarian workers indicate that Gaza’s healthcare system is in tatters, with only a handful of hospitals partially operational, overwhelmed by the influx of casualties and lacking basic equipment. The World Health Organization has noted that maternal mortality rates are soaring, with women facing complications that could be prevented under normal circumstances.

As I delve deeper into the crisis, I am struck by the disproportionate impact on women and children, who make up nearly 70% of Gaza’s population. The blockade and ongoing hostilities have severed access to food, fuel, and humanitarian aid, leaving families trapped in a cycle of deprivation.

According to the United Nations, over 1.9 million people-more than 80% of Gaza’s population-are internally displaced, with women and girls particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in overcrowded shelters. The lack of safe spaces has led to a surge in gender-based violence, with reports of assault and harassment on the rise, yet there are no functioning systems to provide protection or recourse.

The international response, while vocal, has been frustratingly inadequate. UN Women, alongside other UN agencies, has called for unrestricted humanitarian access to deliver aid at scale, the immediate release of all hostages, and a permanent ceasefire to pave the way for sustainable peace.

Yet, aid deliveries remain sporadic, hampered by bureaucratic restrictions and security concerns. In 2024 alone, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that only a fraction of the required aid reached Gaza, with trucks often delayed or turned back at border crossings. This bottleneck has exacerbated the crisis, leaving women and girls to bear the brunt of the consequences.

As I reflect on this week’s High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, I am cautiously hopeful that it could mark a turning point. The conference, attended by global leaders and diplomats, aims to advance a viable two-state solution, envisioning Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.

But hope alone is not enough. The international community must translate words into action-ensuring humanitarian corridors are opened, aid is delivered without delay, and negotiations prioritize the protection of civilians, especially women and children.

Writing this, I am reminded of the resilience of Gaza’s women, who, despite unimaginable loss, continue to hold their families together. Their strength in the face of such adversity is a testament to the human spirit, but it is not enough to sustain them. The world cannot turn away from this crisis.

We must demand accountability, amplify the voices of those suffering, and work tirelessly toward a future where no woman or girl has to choose between starvation and survival. This is not just Gaza’s crisis-it is humanity’s crisis, and it is our collective responsibility to act.

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