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The UK has announced an aid package of £4.25 million to support sexual and reproductive health care in Gaza through the UN's Population Fund, formerly the UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) – an agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide.
This financial commitment, in response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, comes at a critical time as thousands of women and girls, displaced by the continuing conflict, face dire health risks.
The funding aims to assist about 115,000 women, about 20 per cent of Gaza's adult female population, by enhancing access to essential services.
This includes the provision of 20,000 menstrual hygiene management kits and 45,000 delivery kits to support community midwives, ensuring safer childbirth and better care for mothers and their newborns.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, highlighting the urgency of the situation, said: “Women are bearing the brunt of the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza today.
“Many thousands of women are currently pregnant and will be worrying about delivering their babies safely. This new UK funding will help make giving birth safer and improve the lives of mothers and their newborn babies.
This announcement was made in conjunction with a renewed plea for an “immediate pause” in the hostilities.
“We need to see an immediate pause in the fighting so we can secure the safe release of hostages, get more aid in, and allow organisations like UNFPA to do their vital work effectively,” he said.
The Foreign Office reiterated calls for Israel to enhance aid flow into Gaza and to allow for humanitarian pauses.
Natalia Kanem, UNFPA's executive director, expressed the grim reality faced by women and girls in Gaza, underscoring the importance of international support.
She said: “In Gaza, the reality for women and girls is horrific – and getting worse each day.
“They have little to no access to essential health services and menstrual supplies, and many are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions that put their lives and those of their babies at risk.
“The support of the UK and other partners is vital to get life-saving resources directly to women and girls in desperate need.”
The conflict has placed an enormous strain on Gaza's population, with estimates indicating that there were 50,000 pregnant women at the war's outset.
Daily, more than 180 births are recorded, with more than 5,500 women expected to give birth in the coming month.
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Displaced Palestinians hold a white flag as they pass an Israeli tank position while fleeing the Hamad Town district of Khan Younis. Bloomberg -
A Palestinian woman cuts material to be used for sewing nappies at a workshop in Rafah. AFP -
Smoke rises following an explosion in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel. AP -
Parachutes carrying relief for Palestinians drop from an Egyptian Air Force cargo plane over central Gaza. Bloomberg -
A Palestinian boy who is suffering from malnutrition is treated at a healthcare centre amid widespread hunger. Reuters -
Palestinian children attend an English class in the library of the school housing displaced people in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip. AFP -
An UNRWA-run school housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah. AFP -
Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Rafah. AP -
A wounded Palestinian man who lost his wife and daughter walks past a neighbours' house destroyed by Israeli bombing in Rafah. AFP -
An injured man is rescued from the rubble after an Israeli air strike on the Rafah camp in Gaza. EPA -
Palestinians walk amid the rubble of houses destroyed by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza city. AFP -
Aid is dropped into Gaza from US military aircraft. Reuters -
Palestinians gather at air lorries in Gaza. More than 100 were killed when Israeli troops opened fire. AP -
The sun sets behind destroyed buildings in Gaza. AFP -
A Palestinian man enters a heavily damaged house following an Israeli strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP -
A wounded Palestinian is assisted at the site of an Israeli strike in Deir Al Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. Reuters -
Palestinians gather in the hope of getting bags of flour carried by air lorries near an Israeli checkpoint in Gaza city, as the enclave's residents face crisis levels of hunger. Reuters -
Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in Gaza. Reuters -
A displaced Palestinian child holds a crying baby in a camp in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
Several nations have halted funding for another UN agency, UNRWA, pending a review of Israeli allegations related to the Hamas attack on October 7.
However, Lord Cameron has assured that the UK seeks an “absolute guarantee” from UNRWA regarding its employment practices, amid continuing debates about the funding freeze and its implications for Gaza's civilians.
The broader context of these humanitarian efforts includes international diplomatic efforts to address the conflict.
At a recent UN General Assembly meeting in New York, Lord Cameron addressed criticisms of perceived “double standards” in the UK's response to global crises, emphasising the unique circumstances of the Gaza conflict and reaffirming the UK's commitment to a two-state solution, despite opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
