UN Women: Women and girls must be at the heart of Gaza’s recovery

She said at the press conference of United Nations agencies in Geneva that the body communicates daily with women and girls whose voices must be heard.

added: “We have heard from many women and girls across Gaza since the ceasefire began, a mixture of fragile hope, profound exhaustion, and underlying strength. They see this ceasefire as an elusive, fragile, and long-awaited moment of hope.”.

She recalled the extent of the losses that occurred among women and girls over the course of two years, saying: “Women and girls in Gaza are being killed at a rate of nearly two every hour. This number defines the scale of this war, and will continue to haunt our collective conscience for generations.”.

Window for quick response

The UN official said that the needs of women and girls in Gaza remain at their highest levels ever, noting that more than a million women and girls need food aid, and nearly a quarter of a million need urgent food support.

She said: “This ceasefire is our window for rapid response, to stop famine where it starts, and prevent it where it looms.”.

She pointed out that most women in Gaza were displaced at least four times during the war, stressing that the ceasefire is their first opportunity to stop fleeing, seek safety, and rebuild. But she warned that winter is coming, and many women are still homeless.

Kaltorp said: “In Gaza today, one in seven households is headed by a woman. They need help that reaches them directly, so they can feed their children, get health care, rebuild their livelihoods, and regain some stability after losing everything.”.

The role of women’s organizations

The UN official spoke about the role of women-led organizations and women’s rights organizations in Gaza, which “Many of them never stopped. Even in the darkest days, they continued to provide care, protection and hope.”.

She said that “Every woman who rebuilds a bakery, clinic or classroom, rebuilds peace. Every dollar invested in women-led aid is a down payment for hope.”.

She stressed that if “We have not put the humanitarian needs of women and girls at the heart of our concerns, and if we do not engage women’s organizations in response, recovery and reconstruction efforts, women will be completely excluded from Gaza’s future.”.

Move quickly to increase food aid

Abeer Atifa, regional communications officer and spokeswoman for the World Food Program in the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said: “The program is moving quickly to increase food assistance and reach families who have suffered months of closure, displacement and hunger.”.

She stated at the press conference in Geneva that the program was able to use the Kerem Shalom crossings in the south and Kissufim, located in the central part of the Gaza Strip, adding: “Convoys have been able to cross safely over the past few days without loss of goods. This is really important. We are reaching our warehouses and distribution points and getting closer to people. This is a very positive sign.”.

She stressed that there is a need to do more, noting that “The faster we get aid in, the faster we can get there.”. She also expressed her hope to open crossing points in the northern Gaza Strip.

She explained that since the ceasefire entered into force on October 11 until the fifteenth of the same month, about 230 trucks carrying about 2,800 tons of food supplies entered Gaza, warning that these quantities are still less than required.

Saving communities from the brink of famine

A World Food Program spokeswoman said they now have five food distribution points in Gaza close to people, and open to the most vulnerable women and children, adding: “Our goal is to expand to 145 distribution points throughout Gaza.”.

She pointed out that this matter depends on one thing, which is the continuous flow of trucks, and that this means the necessity of working closely with the local partner and communities, “Above all, maintain the ceasefire.”.

Atifa reported that the program began distribution operations with ready-to-eat food rations, which are necessary for families who cannot access cooking facilities, in addition to distributing food parcels in a number of locations that include basic commodities such as legumes, lentils, beans, and oil.

She also indicated that bakeries are one of the most important priorities of the World Food Programme, stating that as of October 15, there are nine operating bakeries, producing more than 100,000 loaves of bread daily. She said: “We are working to expand the scope of these bakeries to 30 bakeries throughout Gaza.”.

Atifa said: “If the ceasefire holds, we will continue to provide aid and access. If we stay on this path, we can save communities from the brink of famine.”.