Gaza's Unseen Crisis: A Struggle for Survival
The Dire Situation
The conflict intensified in Gaza. There is nowhere for Palestinians to take shelter from the fierce fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, where communications were cut off again on Monday (22 January), as pressure mounts on Israel to reach a solution that includes the establishment of a long-awaited Palestinian state.
Antar said, "The situation is terrifying. Tonight and today are very difficult. Bombing and shooting. I don't know what to do." The Ministry of Health in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip reported on Monday that more than 120 people had been killed in the past 24 hours.
Humanitarian Impact: The Struggle for Survival
The struggle for survival in Gaza is real and immediate. Gazans are desperate and hungry, searching for food amid the rubble.
The World Food Program (WFP) warns that more than half a million people in Gaza continue to face “catastrophic food insecurity levels”.
The victims of the recent Israeli raids were transferred to Al-Nasr Hospital, and mourners buried their bodies in a mass grave.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has a particularly devastating impact on women and children.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 24,620 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, 70 percent of whom were women or children.
More than 1.9 million people — 85 percent of the total population of Gaza — have been displaced.
In Gaza, the loss of life and severe humanitarian needs are at unprecedented levels. The displacement experiences are gendered, with nearly 1 million women and girls among the displaced.
The decisions they have to make regarding whether to evacuate – when and how as well as where to go – are entrenched with gender-differentiated fears and experiences.
Two mothers are killed every hour in the war in Gaza. This alarming statistic underscores the gendered impact of the conflict, which has left more than 23,000 Palestinians dead, about 16,000 of whom are women or children.
The aftermath of the conflict has left at least 3,000 women as widows and heads of households, and at least 10,000 children may now be fatherless. More women fear families will resort to desperate coping mechanisms such as early marriage.
Despite the crisis, women’s rights organizations continue to operate. In November, UN Women conducted a rapid survey of 12 women-led organizations and one youth-led group which found that most – 83 percent – were at least partially operating, focused mainly on the emergency response.
Gaza’s Healthcare on the Edge: Hospitals Under Siege
The healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink of collapse. Hospitals are being attacked and besieged, leaving patients and healthcare workers trapped. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that Al-Khair Hospital is “one of the two hospitals that are now being raided”, while Nasser Hospital is “now basically besieged around the hospital and has no way in and out”.
South Africa Takes Israel to ICJ Over Gaza Crisis
South Africa has brought a case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
The role of the international community
The international community, including the United Nations, has expressed deep concern about the high number of civilians killed since the beginning of the crisis and the human rights violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The independent UN expert on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory described the crisis as a "political and humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions."
