The UN Population Fund says girls in Gaza are commonly married off young, often to rapists, to ease family hardship. One woman said a man married off his 14-year-old daughter for two bags of flour during famine; others reportedly did so for shelter.
A June study listed psychological and emotional violence as the second most reported form of gender-based violence, followed by physical violence, sexual assault and forced or early marriage. Researchers attributed these trends to stress in overcrowded shelters and limited access to food, water, hygiene supplies and clothing.
The report says Israel has issued evacuation orders to Palestinians in Gaza over the past three years; displaced Gazans have been forced to move an average of seven times. It says each move further erodes women’s safety and support and makes gender-based-violence services harder to access, where available. The UN says more than 38,000 women and girls have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
