Facts & Figures: Two years of war on Gaza – the toll on women and girls
Date:
Since October 2023, UN Women has been committed to making the war’s unparalleled death toll on women and girls, their mass displacement, the rise in the number of widows, and the collapse of health, education, and all essential services visible. These are our latest figures:
Lives lost
- In two years, Gaza has become the epicenter of women’s deaths in conflict - over 33,000 women and girls have been killed since October 2023[1].
- Women, men, girls, and boys are killed in their homes, shelters, on their way seeking food. In just four months, almost 10 fathers a day (over 1,150+ fathers) have been killed while seeking food for their families.[2]
Famine
- Nearly 250,000 women and girls are living in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5 – famine), marked by an extreme lack of food and the exhaustion of coping capacities. This situation translates into starvation and a heightened risk of acute malnutrition and death. An additional 500,000 women and girls are at risk of falling into these catastrophic conditions. [3]
- The majority of the female population has been forced to flee, at least 4 times since the war began[4]. Each move has meant searching for a small piece of land, often at unbearable rental costs, and many families end up building makeshift tents.
Widows
- 1 in 7 families in Gaza is now led by a woman, more than 16,000 women who lost their husbands.[5] This new generation of widows must bear the double burden of grief and responsibility, caring for children, managing households alone, and making life-or-death choices alone, amid famine, displacement, and collapsed services.
Health Care
- Pregnant women are three times more at risk than a year ago[6]. Famine, lack of water, and medical care are not only robbing women of their health but also endangering the next generation before birth.[7]
- 1 in 4 women (over 500,000) lack access to reproductive health care[8] and 700,000 women and girls struggle daily to manage their periods in war conditions[9]. Thousands of adolescent girls are reaching puberty under bombardment, without safety, privacy, or sanitary supplies[10].
Education
- Over 318,000 girls have already lost two school years and risk losing a third, threatening their futures. Every single school-age girl and boy in Gaza has been denied their fundamental right to education.[11]
Despite facing endless bombings, hunger, and grief, women are prime contributors to survival in Gaza. They cook communal meals with scraps, comfort neighbours, care for the sick and the old, teach children in tents, and provide first aid. UN Women continues supporting women-led organizations inside Gaza, providing lifesaving services and centering women’s leadership to guide response and recovery.
UN Women joins the United Nations and humanitarian partners in calling for:
- Unrestricted, sustained humanitarian access at scale to reach women and girls with essential aid and services.
- The immediate release of all hostages.
- An immediate ceasefire leading to a just and sustainable peace.
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[1] UN Women Estimates
[2] UN Women Estimates
[3] UN Women Estimates
[4] UN Women Estimates
[5] UN Women Estimates
[6] Famine confirmed in Gaza – pregnant women and newborns at acute risk | United Nations Population Fund
[7] As famine looms in Gaza, pregnant women and newborns face life-threatening health risks | United Nations Population Fund
[8] Women and Girls in Crisis in Gaza - USA for UNFPA
[9] From natural process to nightmare: How Gaza’s women and girls cope with their periods in a war zone | United Nations Population Fund
[10] From natural process to nightmare: How Gaza’s women and girls cope with their periods in a war zone | United Nations Population Fund
[11] oPt: Education Snapshot - The academic year 2024-2025, 12 September 2024 - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWeb