Subheading 1: Violence Against Women in Gaza
Women and girls in Gaza are suffering from unprecedented levels of violence, making the besieged territory one of the deadliest places in the world for women at this time, according to a global NGO called ActionAid.
The organization states that more than three women are killed every hour in Gaza, according to a statement released by the organization.
ActionAid notes that women and girls in Gaza are being killed and injured at an alarming rate, and they are daily deprived of their basic rights to food, water, and healthcare, while enduring immense psychological pressure and trauma after two months of living in terror.
“Gaza is the most dangerous place in the world for a woman or girl to be right now. The number of women and girls being killed for no reason in this violence is rising every hour,” said Riham Jafri, Advocacy and Communication Coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, in the statement.
“At the same time, every day is a desperate struggle for them to meet their basic needs.”
Subheading 2: Pregnancy and Childbirth in the Midst of War
According to ActionAid, there are approximately 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza.
The organization says that around 180 mothers face life-threatening risks daily while giving birth without adequate medical care, as they undergo cesarean sections and emergency surgeries without sterilization, anesthesia, or pain relief.
One of the midwives at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza told ActionAid that many Palestinian pregnant women have gone into labor amid Israeli bombardment.
Subheading 3: Mass Displacement
As Israel expands its attack on the enclave, at least 800,000 women have been displaced from their homes in Gaza, according to ActionAid.
Many women are now living in severely overcrowded facilities – most of which have one shower for every 700 people and one toilet for every 150 people, according to what Jafri told Al Arabiya English in the statement.
There is not enough water for women to clean themselves, no privacy, no soap to maintain their hygiene, and no sanitary products.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), over 80 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced, leaving them with limited or no options for safe shelter.
Subheading 4: Psychological Impact
In the past two months, women and girls in Gaza have witnessed “unimaginable scenes of death and destruction,” according to ActionAid.
The organization added that the crisis has caused severe psychological pressure on women and girls in Gaza.
With no safe place to go, there has been no relief from the horror of uncertainty about whether there is a chance for them and their families to live to see another day.
“Today, I have no hope anymore. I am more scared than I have ever been. With each passing day, this fear and horror increase. As a mother, I have only two wishes. The first thing I wish for is to die before my children. I do not want to see my children die in front of me. The second wish is to die quickly,” said Yara, a mother and humanitarian worker who has been displaced to southern Gaza, to ActionAid.
The organization has repeated its calls for a permanent ceasefire, stating that it is the only way to stop the devastating violence that women and girls in Gaza are currently suffering.
Read more:
1. “Older than Israel”: An elderly Gazan woman in a viral video was shot dead by Israeli snipers.
2. “No Safe Place”: Over 80 percent of Gaza’s population has been displaced due to Israeli bombardment.
3. “War in Israel and Gaza” tops Google News for 2023.
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