UN Women reports almost 50,000 Gaza women and girls killed or maimed since 2023
UN Women says nearly 50,000 women and girls in Gaza have been killed or left with severe injuries since October 2023, roughly one in every 21.
UN Women’s chief of humanitarian action, Sofia Calltorp, told reporters in Geneva that the conflict has killed over 38,000 women and girls in Gaza and left another 11,700 with lifelong injuries, amounting to about one in 21 females in the enclave. The majority of these casualties occurred in the first two years, yet violence persisted, with 277 women and girls killed since October 2025. Nearly one million females have been displaced, most living in tents or ruined homes.
The proportion of female-headed households has doubled, now comprising one quarter of all families. Funding reductions have left 13 of 14 surveyed women’s organisations unable to meet rising needs, and all report increases in gender-based violence, poverty, mental-health issues and child marriage since 2025. UN Women called for full ceasefire implementation, respect for international law and accountability for violations.
