Gaza’s Women in Crisis: The Hidden Toll of War on Survivors

In the last three months alone, over 714,000 people in Gaza—nearly a third of the population—have been forced to move again, tearing families apart and dismantling community support systems. For women and girls, this constant upheaval has turned daily survival into a nightmare. They sleep in the open, live without privacy, and face threats of abuse and exploitation, all while grieving the loss of loved ones.

At delivery points and overcrowded shelters, fear dominates. Women who once led stable lives are now struggling to find water, maintain dignity, and protect their daughters from being pushed into child labour or early marriage, desperate means to escape hunger.

Organizations like UNFPA are seeing a massive rise in women seeking help at safe spaces, yet many of these shelters have lost vital resources due to displacement orders. Essential services are interrupted, staff are often displaced themselves, and safe spaces are being forced to close due to lack of fuel and supplies.

Fuel shortages are bringing Gaza’s infrastructure to a breaking point. The majority of health facilities are close to shutting down, and without electricity, even remote psychological support is fading fast. Since March 7, no aid supplies have entered the region, and basic items like menstrual hygiene kits have run out.

Still, amidst unimaginable hardship, frontline workers continue their efforts to support abused women and girls. These women—many of them survivors themselves—are holding the line. As one caseworker put it, “Even the smallest effort can bring hope. We know the need, and we’re not giving up.”