UNFPA reports rising risks of violence against women and girls in Gaza
Reported early and forced marriages rose 123% in April–June 2026 compared with the previous quarter, while the UN agency says sexual violence remains acutely under-reported.
UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reports describe growing risks of gender-based violence for women and girls in Gaza, including a sharp rise in reported early and forced marriages. Data collected by 10 organisations showed those cases increased 123% in April–June 2026 compared with the previous quarter.
The reports link heightened risks to displacement, poverty, hunger, limited privacy and the breakdown of public services and social structures. UNFPA representative to Palestine Nestor Owomuhangi said the prolonged crisis had eroded social systems.
A separate UNFPA report draws on testimony from 230 women in displacement camps in Gaza City and Khan Younis. The accounts describe abuse and particular vulnerabilities for girls orphaned during the war. They are testimony from those interviewed and do not establish prevalence across Gaza.
Reported sexual violence cases rose 61% in the second quarter, and made up 2.7% of reported gender-based violence incidents, up from 2.1%. UNFPA says sexual violence is acutely under-reported, in part because survivors fear stigma and retaliation. The rise in reports may also reflect greater awareness and improved confidential reporting.
UNFPA’s figures capture reported cases, not the full scale of violence. The reports say data collection remains difficult, while risks are compounded by deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
