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Israel’s Gaza Blockade is Devastating for Women and GirlsWeeks after Israel cut the flow of water, electricity, fuel, and aid into the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian crisis there is deepening – and it is affecting women and girls in specific and devastating ways. Israel’s blockade comes in retaliation for the heinous October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas-led fighters in which an estimated 1,400 people were massacred and more than 200 taken hostage. These Hamas-led acts are war crimes. Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged by airstrikes and deprived of essential supplies. This puts the estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza at risk of missing necessary care and giving birth without electricity or medical supplies. “The crisis will likely result in increased maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, undermining heath gains previously made in Palestine,” HRW’s Heather Barr said. Meanwhile, families are rationing water, as only a fraction of the water normally supplied by Israel is getting through, and only in southern Gaza. But clean water is essential for parents, usually mothers, trying to feed babies. Also, women and girls need water and sanitation to safely manage their menstrual hygiene. “When those needs are unmet it can lead to serious infections including hepatitis B and thrush,” Barr said. Women and girls who fled to shelters face difficulty accessing supplies and facilities. Lack of awareness about menstrual health, especially among men and boys, likely compounds difficulties they face. With its blockade, Israel is punishing all Gaza’s civilians for Hamas’s attacks, and collective punishment is a war crime. Although there is little data on current trends in Gaza, women and girls typically are at increased risk of sexual violence in times of armed conflict. Sexual violence survivors need medical assistance to treat injuries and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as for emergency contraception. “But as Gaza struggles to treat thousands of people injured by Israeli airstrikes, these needs will likely go largely unmet,” Barr said. The suffering of Gaza’s women and girls is one more reason Israel’s allies, especially the United States, should press Israel to restore essential resources and allow in sufficient aid. Our most recent work on Israel-Palestine: Israel-Palestine Hostilities Affect Rights in Europe (Oct 26) The UN General Assembly Should Act on Gaza (Oct 25) Countries Should Back ICC Investigation on Israel-Palestine (Oct 25) Israel Still Blocking Aid to Civilians in Gaza (Oct 23) We Are Seeing Urgent Signs of More Mutual Mass Atrocities to Come in Israel and Gaza (Oct 20) Read more on Israel-Palestine >> |
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