New York - Gaza: Europe and the Arabs
As the war in Gaza approaches five months, UN Women says women are still suffering from its devastating effects. While war does not exclude anyone, the Commission’s data shows that this war kills and injures women in an unprecedented manner. According to what was stated in the United Nations daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received this Saturday morning
While the United Nations warns of a looming famine, UN Women reviewed 7 facts that show how the war on Gaza is also a war on women.
• About 9,000 women have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza so far. This number is likely an underestimate, as many women are reported to have died under the rubble.
• Every day that the war in Gaza continues, at the current rate, an average of 63 women will continue to be killed.
• About 37 mothers are killed every day, destroying the lives of their families and reducing the protection of their children.
• More than 4 out of 5 women (84 percent) reported that their families eat half less food than they used to before the war began. Mothers and adult women are responsible for bringing food, but they are the last and least eaten in the family.
• 4 in 5 women (84 percent) in Gaza report that at least one member of their family had to miss meals during the past week. In 95% of these cases, mothers do not eat and skip at least one meal to feed their children. UN Women said that all of Gaza's 2.3 million people will face severe levels of food insecurity within weeks - the highest level ever recorded.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 women (87 percent) reported that they find it more difficult to obtain food than men. Some women are now resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, such as searching for food under rubble or in rubbish bins.
• 10 out of 12 women’s organizations surveyed in Gaza reported being partially operational, providing basic emergency response services. Despite the exceptional efforts made by these organizations - the Commission said - less than 1 percent of the funding raised through the 2023 flash appeal has been allocated to national or local women's rights organizations. The authority said that directing funding to these organizations is critical to meeting the enormous needs of women, their families and communities, and to ensure that the voices of women in Gaza are heard.
UN Women said: “Unless there is an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds, more people will die in the coming days and weeks.” It stressed the need for the killing, bombing and destruction of basic infrastructure in Gaza to stop, and for humanitarian aid to enter the Strip and across all borders. around it immediately.”
UN officials have renewed their warning of the imminent risk of famine in Gaza. Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organization, said that official data indicate that a tenth child - registered in a hospital - died of starvation.
At a press conference held by United Nations agencies in Geneva, Lindemeyer said that the real number of children who died of hunger may be higher than that. Regarding the continued outbreak of diseases, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the medical point of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jabalia - north of Gaza - receives between 100 and 150 cases of viral hepatitis daily.
Regarding the West Bank, the office said that a Palestinian child was killed in the village of Beit Furik in Nablus, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - to 406, including 103 children, since October 7.
UN aid arrives in northern Gaza
A United Nations team visited Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, north of the Strip, bringing with it medicines, vaccines and fuel to help ensure the continued operation of the health facility. The team - which included members from the Office of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization and UNICEF - also met with a number of wounded people who were injured yesterday, Thursday, while seeking life-saving aid west of Gaza City.
It is reported that Al-Shifa Hospital received more than 700 people who were injured yesterday, 200 of whom are still in the hospital. Hospital workers informed the UN team that they also received the bodies of more than 70 people killed on Thursday.
This is the first time that a UN convoy has been able to deliver aid to northern Gaza in more than a week.
Support UNRWA
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, said that the European Union Commission's decision to grant the agency 50 million euros comes at a critical time. He explained that this is part of 82 million euros in aid that will be implemented through UNRWA during the current year.
The UN official said that this will support the agency’s efforts to maintain the continuity of basic and life-saving services for Palestine refugees throughout the region. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees supports about 5.9 million refugees in five areas: Gaza, the West Bank - including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Lazzarini said that the European Union has been a long-standing partner of UNRWA in providing assistance to Palestine refugees in the region. He stated that providing his full financial contribution to the agency is key to keeping the agency's operations going in a very volatile region.
The European Union was among the donors who froze their funding to UNRWA after allegations made by Israel that 12 employees of the agency participated in the October 7 attacks. The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight is investigating these allegations.
Before making these allegations, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations to conduct an independent external review of the agency.