Attachments
The situation in the Gaza Strip continues to be incredibly fluid, with the situation deteriorating rapidly since the collapse of the ceasefire, resulting in intense air-stikes and increased presence of Israeli Forces in Gaza. Despite some partners resuming activities before and during the ceasefire, many partners report the need to close programming in the face of multiple forced displacement, insecurity for response providers and the destruction of Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) and hospitals.
Escalating Risks of GBV in Gaza
Nearly 50% of the estimated 2.1million displaced and affected people in the Gaza Strip are women and girls. Of the estimated 50,669 people killed between 7 October 2023 and 31 March 2025, the United Nations Human Rights office, estimates that nearly 70% are women and children. As access to food, water, shelter, and medical care continues to deteriorate, the United Nations has raised urgent concerns about the survival and safety of civilians—particularly women and girls. In this environment of extreme deprivation and fear, risks of gender-based violence (GBV) have significantly increased. The ongoing conflict has deepened pre-existing vulnerabilities, including poverty, family separation, and the breakdown of social safety nets.
Collapse of Services and Protection Structures
Access to GBV response services in Gaza is critically limited. Case management, psychosocial support, medical care, and other lifesaving services are either non-functional or operating at minimal capacity due to damaged infrastructure, supply shortages, and restricted humanitarian access. The displacement, injury, or death of frontline service providers has further eroded response capacity, leaving countless women and girls—many of whom are experiencing exploitation, sexual violence or intimate partner violence—without recourse or protection.
Adolescent girls and women with disabilities, especially those orphaned or separated from families, face acute risks in overcrowded shelters, where the lack of trusted adults and guardianship systems increases exposure to early and forced marriage, and abuse.
Meanwhile, traditional community-based protection mechanisms have collapsed under the weight of conflict. Women’s groups, safe spaces, and local NGOs that once provided vital support are now destroyed, overwhelmed, or inaccessible, leading to an environment where fear, stigma, and impunity prevail.
Urgent Needs and Call to Action
Displaced women report deep fears for their personal safety and that of their families, with many citing the lack of privacy, secure latrines, and safe bathing spaces as significant protection and health concerns. Overcrowding, prolonged electricity outages, and the lack of water and food have strained family dynamics, increasing tensions and the incidence of GBV. Humanitarian access remains severely constrained, making it nearly impossible to restore referral pathways or deliver critical services such as the Clinical Management of Rape (CMR). Movement restrictions, both imposed and socially enforced, limit survivors’ ability to seek help, while the deployment of specialized GBV personnel and delivery of lifesaving supplies remain dangerously delayed. A severe lack of funding continues to undermine GBV response efforts, limiting the ability to scale up services, pre-position supplies, and expand outreach. Without urgent and sustained financial support, women and girls in Gaza will remain at heightened risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse, with little hope of protection or recovery.