The October 2023 attack by Hamas has left irreversible damage on the whole city of Gaza. Every hour, two mothers are killed and nearly 1 million more have been left to live amongst the rubble without safe shelter and without enough food or clean water to survive. Food insecurity and starvation affect women in Gaza in multiple ways. “U.N. Women estimates that at least 557,000 women in Gaza are facing severe food insecurity, and find themselves facing old and new gender-based vulnerabilities.”

Female Starvation in Gaza

For the sick and injured, for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, there is virtually no medical help left. Not only is there no medical help left, but breastfeeding mothers are using 25% of their body’s energy just by feeding their children, in comparison the brain only uses 20%. Therefore, mothers especially are starving and desperately fighting to also keep their children alive. “The situation is particularly concerning for mothers and adult women, who often prioritize feeding others over themselves and report greater difficulty accessing food compared to men, leading many to skip meals or reduce their intake to ensure their children are fed,” the U.N. reports.

“Seven out of 10 women interviewed by U.N. Women reported weight loss in the last 30 days, and more than half experience frequent dizziness.” This statistic truly represents the female starvation in Gaza. “I prefer to give the children food first. Then as a mother, I might not eat so I can feed my children. That’s just how life is now. That’s motherhood,” a mother displaced to Rafah, southern Gaza said.

WFP and Action Against Hunger

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that it can only meet 20% of its monthly targets, leaving thousands of families at risk of starvation. This 80% is consistently being shown, especially when one in five pregnant women in a central Gaza clinic struggle with malnourishment. Despite high demands, only a small percentage of people receive help. The WFP is assisting more than 1 million people a month in Gaza due to 96% of the population in the city of Gaza being in a crisis level of hunger or worse.

In Gaza, Action Against Hunger has supported more than 200,000 women and girls through their water, sanitation and hygiene services, alongside food baskets, according to its website. In particular, it has a program to “prevent malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children under 5 years old.”

WEFAQ

Wefaq Society for Women and Child Care, a local women’s organization, is managing to maintain help and support through the hazardous living conditions that are so very prominent in Gaza today. It provides hot meals through the community kitchen to help reduce the rates of hunger within the female population. Winter clothes and accessories are provided alongside blankets and mattresses for comfort and warmth. Hygiene kits, and other essential items like menstrual supplies, milk and nappies for babies. WEFAQ also provides counseling to help aid and rebuild women’s confidence in themselves and their communities.

The female starvation situation in Gaza is very obviously going to be an ongoing issue but through the support of multiple organizations like AAH and WEFAQ, women will finally get the support they truly need.

– Sadie Virgin

Sadie is based in Newport, Wales, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash