|
|
||||
Today marks the 500th day of the crisis in Gaza. 500 days of uncertainty. 500 days of fear and chaos. 500 days of death, starvation, unsanitary conditions, shuttered hospitals, immense pain. This crisis has been 500 days too long. We condemn the violence in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, and hope for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages by Hamas, and an end to the violence. The suffering must end and peace must prevail. The last 500 days have presented unimaginable challenges for women and girls in Gaza: 45,000+ people killed, over 100,000 people injured, and the healthcare systems decimated. Over the last 500 days, because of the generosity of donors like you, UNFPA has delivered critical humanitarian care and sexual reproductive healthcare to women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank. Through it all, women never stopped giving birth, needing reproductive healthcare, or getting their periods — even as they were displaced and basic necessities and health services became unreachable. That’s why our teams on the ground worked diligently, delivering enough supplies — powered by your donations — to support more than half of all births in Gaza over the last 500 days. But right now, the current U.S. funding freeze directly impacts UNFPA’s ability to support pregnant women and their newborns with the essential services they need as key programs in Gaza and beyond are forced to pause operations.
Thank you for being there for women and girls, today and always. Sincerely,
Anu Surendran |
||||
|
|
