GAZA'S CHILDREN AND WOMEN BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE ONGOING WAR.

Children draw during an activity at the Youth Empowerment Center in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. The program is supported by Caritas and DanChurchAid, a member of the ACT Alliance, and is designed to help children better cope with the trauma they experienced during the 2014 war. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth

The United Nations reports that women and children in Gaza face significant challenges as a result of the ongoing war. Nearly one million women and girls have been displaced, and 12,882 girls and women have died in the war that has lasted for more than a hundred days.

UNICEF states that Gaza is "the most dangerous place for children.".

Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, later stated in a statement that children in the Gaza Strip are trapped in a nightmare that gets worse every day due to the worsening conflict, malnutrition, and disease.

According to Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, "the women killed in this conflict come from all walks of life, including journalists, medical staff, UN personnel, and members of civil society organizations."

UN Women reports that 951,490 women and girls have left their homes, and 2,784 women became widows and new housewives after their male partners died. United Nations Women continues to state that every hour, two mothers are killed in Gaza, and 12,882 women and children have been killed in the war. In addition, 10,022 children lost their fathers.

In the midst of the tragedy that has hit Gaza, health conditions have worsened. The UN Population Fund estimates that about 15% of pregnant women may experience pregnancy- or birth-related complications that require medical care. However, due to the conflict, the treatment may be lost, which can harm the pregnancy, the mother's health, and the baby's health. About 50,000 pregnant women live in Gaza today, with more than 180 births taking place every day amid the depletion of Gaza's health care system, according to the United Nations.

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), doctors and midwives "are doing everything possible to provide care for postpartum and high-risk pregnant women at seven UNRWA health centers in operation—down from 22 before the Israeli assault on Gaza began."

The absence of child care is also a problem for Gaza's health system. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that cases of diarrhea among children have increased by 66%. In addition, there are reports of meningitis, chickenpox, and jaundice.

According to a study by the nonprofit news organization The Intercept, the war itself has received more media attention than the suffering of children in Gaza. In more than 1,100 news articles discussing the study, only two headlines referred to the word "children" as being associated with Gaza children.

The Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, reiterated the WCC's request for an immediate ceasefire. He stressed that civilians, especially women and children, bear the brunt of the war, and their medical needs must be met. "The international community, the United Nations, and governments are called upon to protect the dignity of all human beings created in God's image."

News Sources: https://www.oikoumene.org/news/women-and-children-in-gaza-bearing-brunt-of-ongoing-war