Gaza Herald – A senior United Nations official warned that women and girls in Gaza were enduring one of the most devastating humanitarian crises on earth, describing survival in the besieged enclave as a daily battle.
Sarah Hendriks, director of policy, programme and intergovernmental support at UN Women, said during a press briefing at UN headquarters in New York that the situation facing women and girls in Gaza had reached catastrophic levels after months of the genocidal war and destruction.
She told reporters that survival itself had become an exhausting daily struggle for many women and families as airstrikes, displacement, and collapsing living conditions continued to grip the Gaza Strip.
Hendriks noted that UN Women had been working closely with women-led organizations in Gaza to respond to the consequences of forced displacement, trauma, and widespread insecurity affecting families across the strip.
According to Hendriks, the needs of Gaza’s women extended far beyond immediate survival, stressing that many were demanding dignity, justice, economic opportunities, and a meaningful role in rebuilding their shattered communities.
She concluded that the resilience and leadership shown by women in Gaza required genuine international support, including sustained humanitarian access, stronger protection mechanisms, and long-term investment to help rebuild lives and restore stability.
