UNRWA: 70% of those killed in Gaza are women, children

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini confirmed that at least 70 per cent of those killed in the war in Gaza are women and children.

Lazzarini posted on X that the ongoing military operation in northern Gaza over the past seven weeks has displaced 130,000 people, adding: “Women are being separated from men and ordered to walk with their children. Many are seeking shelter in abandoned homes and destroyed clinics or shops. Some sleep out in the open. They are scared and exposed to gender-based violence, abuse and disease.”

“Across Gaza, there are around 50,000 pregnant women and 4,000 deliveries expected next month. With weakened immune systems, pregnant and breastfeeding women struggle to survive amid piles of rubbish and sewage,” he added.

Lazzarini pointed out in his post the conditions that women are suffering: “Menstrual hygiene has become an ordeal for most women and girls. Nearly 700,000 menstruating women don’t have sanitary pads and other hygiene supplies. They are either unavailable or too expensive: the price of a soap bar increased by 1,100%.”

He reiterated his call for a ceasefire: “It’s time for a #ceasefire for the sake of women and girls. It’s time for a standard and regular flow of supplies, including lifesaving hygiene material.”

READ: Israel army killed 100 Palestinians in northern Gaza in past 24 hours: Civil Defence