Women in Gaza: Bearing the Brunt of Displacement

The crisis in the Gaza Strip is a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented scale, but within the grim statistics of displacement and destruction, one reality stands out with chilling clarity: the women of Gaza are bearing the overwhelming brunt of this ongoing emergency. As families are forced to flee their homes, often multiple times, the foundational roles of women as caregivers, protectors, and providers are fractured, leaving them and their children in a state of acute vulnerability, exposed to hunger, disease, and the constant psychological trauma of war.

The current crisis is not an isolated event but the latest, most devastating chapter in a long history of blockade and conflict that has systematically eroded the resilience of Gaza’s population. For years, the movement restrictions and economic strangulation have left the infrastructure—especially healthcare and sanitation—brittle. The mass displacement that began in late 2023 has pushed over 1.9 million people into overcrowded, unsanitary shelters and makeshift camps, with women and girls comprising the majority of the displaced population. This environment has created a perfect storm where the specific needs of women—from menstrual hygiene to safe childbirth—are not just unmet, but actively endangered. The constant search for clean water, food, and a safe place to sleep consumes every waking moment, turning daily survival into an exhausting, perilous ordeal.

Fatima, a 35-year-old mother of four, has been displaced five times since the start of the conflict. Her last refuge is a tent pitched precariously in a crowded camp in Rafah, where the winter chill seeps through the thin canvas. "We left everything behind," she recounts, her voice thin with exhaustion. "My youngest, five-year-old Noor, cries every night because she is hungry and cold. I try to be strong for them, but where is the strength supposed to come from when I haven't had a full night's sleep in months?" Fatima’s greatest fear is not the shelling, but the silent, creeping threats: the lack of clean water that has given her children persistent diarrhea, and the constant worry about her teenage daughter’s safety in the overcrowded sanitation facilities. She clutches a small, worn photograph of her home. "I used to be a teacher. Now, I am just a woman searching for a piece of bread and a moment of quiet. I tell my children, 'We will go home soon,' but I don't believe it anymore. I just say it for them." Her story is a mirror reflecting the quiet desperation of hundreds of thousands of women struggling to maintain a semblance of normalcy in the face of absolute chaos.

The scale of the crisis, particularly its gendered impact, is staggering and demands immediate global attention.

The Crisis in Numbers: A Gendered Toll

• Casualties: In the initial months of the conflict, women and children accounted for approximately 70% of all casualties, highlighting their disproportionate vulnerability.
• Displacement: Over 1.9 million people are displaced, with women and girls making up the majority in many displacement sites, placing immense strain on limited resources.
• Maternal Health: An estimated 180 women give birth every day in Gaza, often without access to proper medical care, anesthesia, or even basic hygiene. The risk of maternal and neonatal mortality has skyrocketed.
• Malnutrition: More than 17,000 women are suffering from acute malnutrition, a condition that severely compromises their health and the health of their children, particularly those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Sanitation and Hygiene: The lack of privacy and access to menstrual hygiene products (MHM kits) is a critical issue, forcing women to use unsanitary alternatives, which increases the risk of infection and disease.

Yafa Relief, a leading Gaza Charity, is on the ground, focusing its efforts on addressing the specific vulnerabilities of displaced women and girls. Our response is centered on two critical pillars: emergency health and essential non-food items (NFIs). We have established three mobile health clinics operating in the southern displacement zones, prioritizing pre- and post-natal care. The logistical challenges are immense. Fuel shortages mean our clinics often rely on solar power, and the constant security checks and shifting frontlines make Palestine Aid delivery unpredictable. For instance, securing a single truckload of specialized reproductive health kits—containing essential items like sanitary pads, soap, and basic pain relief—can take up to two weeks of complex negotiation and coordination. Despite these hurdles, Yafa Relief has distributed over 15,000 dignity kits to women in Rafah and Khan Younis since October, providing not just physical aid, but a crucial measure of privacy and dignity in inhumane conditions. Our teams are working around the clock, often sleeping in the same overcrowded shelters as the people we serve, driven by the urgent need to protect the most vulnerable.

The women of Gaza are not passive victims; they are survivors, fighting daily to keep their families alive. But survival should not be this hard. The international community and the Best Palestinian Charities must move beyond statements of concern and demand immediate, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access. For Yafa Relief, every hygiene kit, every dose of medicine, and every hour of a midwife’s time is a lifeline. We cannot sustain this operation without your help. Your support directly funds the mobile clinics and the dignity kits that offer a small measure of safety and health to women like Fatima. Do not let their silent struggle become a forgotten tragedy.

Act now. Support the women of Gaza.

To help Yafa Relief continue its life-saving work, please make a donation today: https://yafarelief.org/donation

When you look for the Best Charity to Donate to Gaza, look for impact, transparency, and direct access. Yafa Relief embodies these values.