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The grand total includes at least 22,000 women and 16,000 girls and on average at least 47 women and girls are killed every day, Sofia Calltorp, Head of Humanitarian Action, told journalists in Geneva.
““Those who were killed were mothers, they were daughters, sisters and friends, who were deeply loved by the people around them.” he said, adding that killings had continued in recent months, despite a ceasefire between Hamas fighters and the Israeli military.
Data also shows that nearly 11,000 women and girls have suffered injuries and many have experienced life-changing disabilities. The actual number of victims may be higher because many bodies are still trapped under the rubble, UN Women said. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 72,315 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and 172,137 others injured since October 2023.
This has created a chronic humanitarian emergency in Gaza where many households are now headed by women facing increased economic hardship and protection risks.
Families stick together
Six months since a ceasefire began in Gaza last October, women and girls continue to face severe and persistent risks, as humanitarian needs remain critical and recovery conditions remain fragile.
“This war has changed the shape of the family. Tens of thousands of households are now headed by women,” stressed Calltorp from UN Women. “After losing their husbands, they support their families with no income, no support or access to essential services.”
In addition, “most services are still lacking”, continued Ms. Calltorp, highlighted the urgent need for “basics”, including sexual and reproductive health and access to sanitary napkins. He remembers visiting Gaza in November and meeting two women who had to give birth to their babies on the street, “because there was no transport to take them to a functioning hospital”.
UN Women calls for full respect for the ceasefire, compliance with international law, and increased humanitarian assistance, and emphasizes that women and girls must be at the center of recovery and peacebuilding efforts.
The agency remains in Gaza and partners with women-led and women’s rights organizations.
Together with the UN system, aid partners and women’s organizations, UN Women works to reach all women and girls with life-saving assistance and to ensure that women’s organizations are funded and represented in decision-making and reconstruction.
