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Six months into the war, Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis disproportionately impacting women and girls. A new report by United Nations’ agency UN Women, titled Scarcity and Fear, has shed light on the devastating consequences of limited access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.
UN Women estimates revealed a devastating toll of the war so far: Over 10,000 women have lost their lives in the last six months, including an estimated 6,000 mothers, leaving behind 19,000 orphaned children. Surviving women face displacement, widowhood and the threat of starvation.
As Gaza’s water supply is still only 7 per cent of what it was prior to October 2023, the surviving women are enduring dire circumstances with scarce food, no access to safe water or sanitation facilities and a lack of essential sanitary products.
About 1.1 million women and girls in the region lack basic necessities like safe drinking water, functioning toilets and sanitary pads, creating a breeding ground for disease and poses a severe threat to women’s health and dignity, the report said, painting a grim picture.
Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are particularly vulnerable. They require increased water intake and contaminated water can lead to serious health risks for both mother and child. More than 330,000 girls and boys under the age of five are also especially vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
The management of menstrual hygiene is another critical but neglected issue. More than 540,000 women and girls in Gaza are of reproductive age and require access to basic hygiene, health, dignity and well-being.
UN Women estimated that millions of sanitary pads are needed monthly, but access is severely restricted. This forces women and girls to resort to unsafe alternatives, increasing the risk of infections and impacting their ability to participate in daily activities.
A Gazan woman was quoted by the report:
In Gaza, we [women] cannot meet our simplest and most basic needs: eating well, drinking safe water, accessing a toilet, having (sanitary) pads, taking a shower, … changing our clothes…
The report emphasised the psychosocial impact of the WASH crisis. Women and girls, often responsible for water collection, face long journeys to find usable water sources, exposing them to security risks and further hardship. The lack of privacy due to damaged sanitation facilities adds to the mental strain.
A 13-year-old girl from Deir Al Balah shared her experience with menstruating in overcrowded shelters:
I am new to having my period; I was adjusting and dealing with it at home, but now, I hate that time of the month; I feel so self-conscious and sick to my stomach. I am using the occasion of the cold to cover myself more and more; I hate for anybody to see me. I try to be invisible; I don’t want to be seen or heard.
UN Women joined the call for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, along with urgent action to address the grave humanitarian and WASH conditions in Gaza. This includes ensuring safe access to water points, repairing sanitation infrastructure and distributing hygiene kits including menstrual hygiene products.
“More than ten thousand women have been killed so far, of which an estimated six thousand are mothers. Women who have survived the bombing are suffering daily starvation, sickness and constant fear. The war in Gaza is no doubt a war on women, who are paying a heavy price for a war not of their making,” Susanne Mikhail, regional director of UN Women in the Arab States, said in a media briefing in Geneva.
The report emphasised the importance of conducting gender analysis and systematically collecting disaggregated data by sex, age and disability. This ensures that WASH coordination and response efforts effectively meet the specific needs of women and girls.
It also highlighted the need to prioritise the safety and dignity of women and girls in humanitarian responses. This includes ensuring participation of women in decision-making processes and implementing programs that address their specific needs.