Published on: 2026-09-08
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 8, 2026 Humanitarian aid
In the Gaza Strip, households headed by women are more likely than those with men to be without permanent housing, as well as facing food and financial shortages. This is evidenced by new data from the “UN Women” organization.
Almost one in every four households in Gaza is currently headed by a woman – it is estimated that this concerns 86,290 families.
“This is twice the figure that existed before October 2023 and is a consequence of the mass killings of Palestinians,” said Sofia Kalltorp, head of the humanitarian activities department of the UN Women structure.
According to her, access to food, drinking water, hygiene products, and basic services throughout the enclave remains “extremely limited.”
“Women heading households are forced every day to make impossible decisions about how to allocate scarce resources, how to access aid, and simply how to ensure the survival of those they care for,” she said.
Restrictions and bombings
The data is presented 11 months after a ceasefire agreement was reached between Hamas militants and Israel. Since then, at least 246 Palestinian females have died in Gaza as a result of Israeli airstrikes and ground military operations – 137 women and 109 girls.
“This is equivalent to the death of six women and girls every week from October 2025 to July 28, 2026,” said the UN agency representative speaking to reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.
Among the victims is 18-year-old Ragad Ashour, who, according to Kalltorp, died as a result of an Israeli attack while on her way to a school exam. “A six-year-old girl was killed in a helicopter strike on a camp for displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area, near Khan Yunis. Another girl was shot dead in front of her classmates at a field school in Beit Lahia,” she added.
Since the ceasefire agreement was concluded, according to Gaza’s health authorities, a total of 1,303 people have died, and 4,336 have been injured.
Additional difficulties
An analysis of the structure of “UN Women” showed that almost 70 percent of households headed by women lack adequate housing, compared to 55 percent of households headed by men. Such families were also more often forced to flee their homes and are more likely to face food shortages. Two-thirds of households headed by women are in urgent need of financial assistance to survive.
As a result of the war that began after the terrorist attacks carried out by HAMAS on Israeli territory in October 2023, most of the approximately 2.1 million residents of Gaza remain in a state of forced displacement.
Palestinians live in overcrowded shelters and unsafe conditions in an area constituting less than 40 percent of the Gaza Strip, as Israeli authorities continue to restrict access to areas beyond the so-called “yellow” and “orange” lines. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than half of the population (58 percent) faces critical or catastrophic housing needs. Meanwhile, three quarters of female-headed households report housing damage compared to two thirds of male-headed households.
“The ceasefire regime must be fully observed. It is necessary to ensure complete respect for the norms of international law, hold accountable those responsible for violations, allow unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need – on the required scale and without any obstacles – as well as the protection of women and girls. Furthermore, the needs of women and girls must take center stage in response and recovery efforts, including their meaningful participation in peacebuilding and reconstruction processes,” emphasized Kalltorp.
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