UN Women: Gaza women facing 'most devastating' humanitarian crisis

The women and girls of Gaza are enduring one of the most severe humanitarian crises on the planet, a senior UN Women official declared Wednesday, calling on the international community to match their resilience with urgent support. Sarah Hendriks, UN Women director of the policy, programme and intergovernmental support division, painted a stark picture of daily struggle for survival amid escalating violence across the Middle East.

Daily struggle for survival

"The women and girls in Gaza are living one of the most devastating humanitarian tragedies and realities in the world, where survival itself ... has become a daily struggle," Hendriks told reporters at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York. She expressed "heartfelt solidarity with the women and girls across the Middle East" as she joined Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for the violence to stop, noting that UN Women has worked alongside women-led organizations addressing displacement, trauma and insecurity in Gaza.

Beyond survival: dignity and justice

Hendriks emphasized that the needs of women and girls extend far beyond immediate survival concerns. "Their needs do go beyond survival. They are demanding dignity ... justice, livelihoods and a role in rebuilding their future," she said. She stressed that the resilience and leadership of women in Gaza "must be matched also by the sustained humanitarian access, protection and investment from across the international community."

Growing pattern of violations

Pointing to the broader global pattern of deteriorating rights for women and girls, Hendriks noted that "676 million women and girls live within a 50-kilometer proximity to that conflict, where justice is particularly constrained and denied for women and girls." She warned that "violations of the rights of women and girls are indeed accelerating in a growing culture of impunity," adding that the share of women and girls who become victims of conflict-related sexual violence has risen to 87% in just the past two years.

Inflection point for gender equality

Describing the current moment as an "inflection point," Hendriks demanded a fundamental shift in priorities. "We do know that gender equality is not a distraction from peace and security. It is indeed a precondition for it," she asserted, framing women's rights as integral to, rather than separate from, broader peace and security efforts.