Full Breakdown
UNFPA Report Links Gaza Displacement to Rising Gender-Based Violence
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Findings
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released a report based on group discussions with 230 displaced adult women held by the Women’s Affairs Center between December 2025 and January 2026. The agency concluded that security measures implemented after the October 7 conflict, combined with large-scale displacement and restrictions on humanitarian aid, have intensified gender-based violence (GBV) against Palestinian women and girls in Gaza. Reported abuses include increased rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, forced and early marriage, and “survival sex” driven by acute resource scarcity.
Background & Legal Gaps
UNFPA noted that outdated legal frameworks have long left Palestinian women without effective recourse. A 2019 UNFPA survey found that nearly two-thirds of married women in Gaza experienced domestic violence, yet no law specifically criminalizes such abuse. The destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure during the war has further disrupted the already limited legal, health, and education services that previously offered some protection.
Data & Statistics
- 230 displaced women participated in the UNFPA-sponsored discussions.
- The UN recorded 758 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving its staff and partners in 2024.
- UNFPA identified “overcrowded, unsafe, and undignified” camp conditions—lack of doors, inadequate lighting, and absence of single-sex facilities—as key risk factors for harassment and assault.
- The agency reported that Israel’s restriction of 37 aid groups that did not comply with a registration law has worsened deprivation, creating conditions that facilitate economic abuse and forced marriage.
Official Positions
Israel has asserted that its evacuation orders and security actions aim to minimize civilian casualties, despite criticism that these measures uproot communities and expose women to heightened risk. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories has not responded to requests for comment on the safeguards cited by UNFPA. UNFPA itself emphasized that the blockage of aid and the creation of a parallel distribution system have weakened protections against sexual exploitation.
Implications for Women’s Protection
The report highlights a compounded vulnerability: displaced women face limited access to reproductive health services, increased exposure to sexual violence, and social pressures that can lead to forced marriages or stigmatization. The erosion of legal and physical safeguards underscores the need for coordinated humanitarian responses that prioritize safe shelter, privacy infrastructure, and robust mechanisms for reporting and addressing GBV in the Gaza displacement context.