In brief
UNFPA data shows that violence against women in Gaza has spiked, with a 123% rise in early and forced marriage and a 61% jump in sexual assault reports from April to June 2026. Reports of rape victims being married to their abusers and girls as young as 14 forced into marriage appear increasingly common, driven by extreme poverty and breakdown of social structures. Children now miss schooling, family support evaporates, and many women face heightened risk of sexual violence and exploitation. Humanitarian agencies stress the urgent need for improved shelters, sanitation and safety policies, and long‑term programmes to curb child marriage and domestic abuse.
UNFPA says violence against women and girls in the Gaza Strip has accelerated, with a sharp rise in early and forced marriage incidents during the second quarter of 2026.
The agency’s reports cite data from ten organisations and testimony from 230 women in overcrowded displacement camps. One interviewed woman stated that rape victims are often married to their attackers to avoid shame, noting weddings that happen immediately after raids.
A 123% increase in early/forced marriage cases is linked to extreme poverty and social breakdown, as families use costly bargains—such as exchanging a 14‑year‑old girl for flour—to survive famine conditions. UNFPA notes that these girls are now prone to pregnancy, miscarriage, and underweight newborns.
Sexual violence reported in Gaza rose by 61% from the previous quarter, representing 2.7% of all GBV incidents. Women aged 18‑59 are most affected, while adolescent girls account for 8% of survivors.
Humanitarian aid groups argue that safer shelters, improved latrines, adequate lighting and new safety protocols could reduce risks. The UN stresses that many women now lead double‑shaded lives as household heads, often alone and without support.
Despite the war, UNFPA notes that girls previously outperformed boys academically are now dropping out, and many are being forced into marriage for protection or to escape stigma.
Her story
‘When my father was killed in an airstrike, my uncle married my 14‑year‑old sister for flour. She still thinks she is a child, but she has to carry a newborn.’ - Anonymous Gaza resident
