Occupied Palestinian Territory

Across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, prolonged conflict, recurring cycles of violence and severe movement and aid restrictions continue to threaten people’s health, safety and future. Women, girls and young people are bearing some of the heaviest consequences.

The ceasefire in Gaza announced in October 2025 reduced the intensity of hostilities but has brought neither an end to attacks nor provided a path to recovery for millions of families. More than 1,200 people were reportedly killed from the start of the ceasefire through July 2026. The vast majority of people in Gaza remain displaced in overcrowded temporary sites, with no homes to return to, while hunger, unsafe water and inadequate sanitation drive a deepening health and protection crisis. 

With around 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and up to 180 births every day, the need for quality maternal care is urgent. In the first six months of 2026, nearly 4,000 pregnancy losses were reported – three times higher than in the prior six months. Almost every hospital in Gaza has been damaged, and fewer than half of health facilities are functional. Chronic shortages of medicines, fuel, diagnostic equipment, incubators and health personnel are delaying life-saving care, with fatal consequences.

Protection risks for women and girls remain severe, with increasing reports of gender-based violence, early marriage and exploitation. Families who have lost their homes, livelihoods, schools, privacy and safety are struggling to survive both physically and mentally. Palestine’s 2.1 million young people – nearly 40 per cent of the population –  are growing up amid  violence, displacement and shrinking opportunities, with around 600,000 of them displaced.