Estimated 9,000 women killed in Israel-Gaza war, says UN
By Pioneer Publication | posted 10/03/24
Roughly 9,000 women have perished since the Israel-Gaza war began in October, the UN Women, an agency of the United Nations, said in a press release on Friday, March 1.
However, the press release also said that the death toll is likely to be higher, as many more were killed in the enclave. It also said that an estimated 37 mothers are killed every day as the war continues, leaving their children vulnerable and their families distraught. Furthermore, at the current rate, an average of 63 women will continue to be killed, if the war will not cease.
Women vulnerable to starvation: UN Women statistics
In the statistics indicated in the same press release, 4 in 5 women, or 84% in Gaza said that at least one of their family members had to skip meals during the past week. “In 95% of those cases, mothers are the ones going without food, skipping at least one meal to feed their children,” added UN Women. Furthermore, nearly 9 in 10 women, or 87% of Gazan women affected by the war have reported that they have struggled to access food more than men. Some of them have to resort to scavenging for food under hard conditions. “[M]others and adult women [are the ones] being those tasked with sourcing food, yet eating last, less, and least than everyone else,” the report also added.
A previous report says that the entire 2.3 million Gazan people will be facing acute levels of food insecurity within weeks — the highest ever recorded, as Gaza is on the brink of starvation.
When it comes to women’s organizations helping those in need, 10 of 12 of them surveyed in Gaza reported being partly operational, providing essential emergency response services. “Channelling funding to these organizations is crucial to meet the overwhelming needs of women and their families and communities, and to ensure that the voices of Gazan women do not go unheard,” the report also mentioned.
Ceasefire now: UN Women report
The report also emphasized a ceasefire in the enclave, as many more women and children are being heavily affected by the war. “Unless there is an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, many more will die in the coming days and weeks. The killing, bombing, and destruction of essential infrastructure in Gaza must stop. Humanitarian aid must get into and across Gaza immediately.”
In a Facebook post, the Ministry of Health in Gaza also called for the organizations to act on Israel’s actions in Gaza. “We demand the United Nations to work on an immediate stop to Israeli aggression and the genocide that Palestinian women and their families are subjected to…[w]e demand women’s organizations around the world to stand with Palestinian women and gather energies to demand an end to Israeli aggression…[w]e ask international institutions to support the living, health, psychological and social needs of Palestinian women, especially in the Gaza Strip,” it says.
The post also mentioned that 60,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip suffer from malnutrition, drought, and lack of proper health care. About 5000 pregnant women give birth every month in harsh, unsafe, and unhealthy conditions as a result of bombing and displacement.
Invest in women: UN SecGen
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in its message during the International Women’s Day on March 8 to “invest in women,” as also indicated in this year’s theme.
“We must support women’s organizations on the front line. [W]e must invest in programs to end violence against women and to drive women’s inclusion and leadership in economies, digital technologies, peacebuilding, and climate action. This all depends on unlocking finance for sustainable development so that countries have funds available to invest in women and girls…We also need to increase the number of women leaders in business, finance, central banks, and finance ministries. This can help drive investments in policies and programs that respond to women and girls’ needs,” Guterres said in a statement.
