Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza

Gaza, Jan 23: More than 2.3 lakh women and girls in Gaza, including nearly 15,000 pregnant women, are facing severely limited access to reproductive health services due to ongoing Israeli military operations, despite a ceasefire agreement, the United Nations said on Thursday, Anadolu reported.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, citing the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), warned that the situation has led to an increased risk of gender-based violence, child marriage and exploitation of women and girls.

He said widespread damage to health facilities, clinics and designated safe spaces, along with large-scale displacement and flooding, has “sharply limited access to psychosocial support and essential medical care” for women and girls.

Dujarric added that UN humanitarian partners have reached over 13,000 households since Sunday, distributing hundreds of tents, mattresses, blankets, warm clothing, cooking utensils and solar lights. However, capacity and funding constraints mean that assistance currently covers only about 40 per cent of Gaza’s nearly 970 displacement sites.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which began following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and continued for two years, has claimed the lives of more than 71,000 Palestinians and left over 1.71 lakh injured, the majority being women and children. The offensive has also destroyed around 90 per cent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.

Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, Israeli attacks have reportedly killed 483 Palestinians and injured 1,287 others. Meanwhile, Israel has imposed severe restrictions on the entry of food, shelter materials and medical supplies into Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis faced by the enclave’s 2.4 million residents.