2 mothers per hour among those killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza: United Nations – Dainik Savera Times

New Delhi: The horrific war in Gaza is affecting women and girls at unprecedented levels, including loss of life and devastating levels of humanitarian needs. This was the main conclusion of the Gender Alert The Gendered Impact of the Crisis in Gaza, issued by UN Women. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said in a statement that ‘we have once again seen evidence that women and children are the first victims of conflict and that we have a duty to pursue peace. We are failing them. “That failure, and the generational trauma inflicted on the Palestinian people in these 100 days, will haunt us all for generations to come.”

Gaza is fundamentally a security crisis for women. Of the 1.9 million displaced people, approximately one million are women and girls, who are seeking asylum in precarious shelter conditions. Difficult decisions regarding whether to evacuate, how and when to do so, and where to go are linked to gender differentiated fears and experiences, as gender-based risks emerge, including attacks and harassment along displacement routes.

The United Nations estimates that at least 3,000 women have been widowed, who are in urgent need of protection and food assistance. At least 10,000 children have lost their fathers. In this context, more women fear that families will resort to desperate coping mechanisms, including early marriage. Women-led and women’s rights organizations have continued to work despite increasing hostility. 83 percent of women’s organizations surveyed in the Gaza Strip are at least partially active, focusing primarily on emergency response.

However, a breakdown of funding for the 2023 Flash Appeal by the United Nations shows that 0.09 percent of funding went directly to national or local women’s rights organizations. Through a 6-month response plan, UN Women in Palestine is responding to the crisis by providing life-saving assistance, such as emergency food assistance, to more than 14,000 female-headed households.

The UN is also partnering with women-led organizations to provide gender-responsive services for gender-based violence. Establishing women-led protection and response committees in shelters for displaced women and organizing regular consultations with women’s organizations in Palestine to discuss the challenges they face.

It continues to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. No efforts will be made to ensure the safety of women and girls and secure access to prompt, unhindered and gender-responsive humanitarian assistance. The UN body also reiterated its deep concern over sexual violence and other gender-based violence during the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.