700,000 Palestinian women in danger in Rafah
Last Updated on May 8, 2024 4:17 am
About 700,000 Palestinian women are at risk due to Israeli military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. They took refuge in the south to save their lives in the months-long Israel-Hamas war. UN Women warned the military operation in Rafah would exacerbate their plight.
According to new data from UN Women, Rafah’s population has increased five-fold from 2.5 million to 1.4 million. Palestinian women and girls sheltering there will increase the risk of casualties from Israeli ground attacks.
Israel asked residents of parts of the Rafah to evacuate last Monday. The Israeli military took control of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt on Tuesday. This border crossing is considered a ‘lifeline’ for Palestinians living in Gaza.
93 percent of Palestinian women feel unsafe in displaced places
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch a military operation in Rafah. According to UN Women, more than 10,000 women, including 6,000 mothers, have been killed since the start of the war. They have left 19 thousand orphans.
UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Bahous said women and girls in Rafah, like in other parts of Gaza, continue to live in despair and fear. An Israeli ground attack would risk killing thousands more civilians and forcing millions to flee.
According to a survey by UN Women, 93 percent of Palestinian women feel unsafe in the displaced places. More than 80 percent of Palestinian women suffer from depression. Sixty-six percent of Palestinian women say they can’t sleep, and more than 70 percent of Palestinian women say they have nightmares.