UN Women and the Egyptian Red Crescent deliver humanitarian aid to women and children in Gaza

UN Women Egypt in partnership with the Egyptian Red Crescent delivered desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian women and children in Gaza. The ERC/UN Women nine-truck convoy that entered Gaza includes 7,000 kits for Palestinian women and children, including commodities to address their essential needs.

“Under the UN Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), UN Women has partnered with the Egyptian Red Crescent in its efforts to support women in Gaza, in coordination with our offices in OPT,” said Christine Arab, Country Representative, Egypt, UN Women. “UN Women commends the Egyptian National Council for Women and the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs on their strong advocacy with the international community on the needs of women and girls in Gaza.”

Since 7 October 2023, more than 1.9 million people - 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza- have been displaced[2], including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. Recent figures also indicate that 70 per cent of Palestinians killed were women and children, and that two mothers are killed in Gaza every hour. The war in Gaza has left Palestinian women and girls in devastation, without access to adequate food, water, sanitation, and hygiene, impacting their mental and physical well-being and dignity. 

As the war in Gaza continues and the need for immediate humanitarian assistance intensifies, UN Women is implementing a 6-month multisectoral response plan that focuses on the immediate provision of humanitarian assistance as well as support to the enhancement of humanitarian coordination on the ground to address the dire needs of women and girls.

UN Women is also partnering with women-led organizations to deliver gender responsive services and to address the different challenges women and girls face, including protection and well-being.

UN Women continues to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and that no effort be spared to ensure women’s and girls’ protection and safe access to rapid, unimpeded, and gender-responsive humanitarian assistance.

For more information, please contact:

- Maha Rateb; Communications and Advocacy Analyst, UN Women Egypt at [ Click to reveal ]

[2] OCHA, Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel, Flash Update #96, 18 January 2024