Denying humanitarian aid in a war zone: The intersecting impacts of the war on Gaza on adolescent girls’ and young women’s health

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Abstract
Background: Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israel has carried out an intensive bombing campaign and implemented a complete siege on Gaza, permitting extremely limited humanitarian aid. This has created a humanitarian catastrophe, yet little evidence exists on how it is experienced by adolescent girls and young women. A critical but overlooked challenge in conflict-affected contexts is the specific health needs of girls and young women, including menstrual hygiene management and sexual and reproductive health. In conflict, women and girls often struggle to access contraceptives, menstrual products, clean water and healthcare services, leading to significant immediate and longer-term risks. Objectives: This article explored these challenges in Gaza, examining how the intersecting impacts of the humanitarian crisis are affecting adolescent girls’ and young women’s basic needs and health outcomes. Design: It draws on a sequential mixed methods cross-sectional research study undertaken between August and December 2024. Methods: The study combined data from a household survey ( n = 1011) of young people aged 10–24, with qualitative data from in-depth interviews ( n = 100) and key informant interviews ( n = 24). Results: The findings underscore severe and intersecting financial, physical and social obstacles in fulfilling girls’ and young women’s basic health needs in the context of the hostilities in Gaza, threatening their physical and mental health. Restricted access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene services and menstrual products heighten health risks, while the collapse of maternal health services threatens mothers and children. These deprivations are exacerbated by poverty from disrupted livelihoods and conservative gender norms that hinder girls’ mobility and emphasise modesty, which is difficult to maintain in displacement contexts. Conclusion: The findings highlight the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on adolescent girls and young women and the urgency of preventative and responsive actions to address their health needs and uphold their rights to health.
Funding Information
  • UK Aid (GB-CHC-228248-GAGE)

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