A woman feeds her children in front of their tent in Gaza.

Just days after the two-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict, a ceasefire agreement has been reached.

We welcome the news that Hamas has returned the hostages, and that much-needed relief is beginning to move into Gaza, including UNFPA trucks full of lifesaving medicines for childbirth, nutritional supplements for pregnant women, menstrual supplies for girls, and much more.

This announcement comes at a critical time: Right now, everyone in Gaza is hungry and 500,000 people could starve to death at any moment.

We have an opportunity to scale up our support and prevent more lives from being lost to hunger, infections, childbirth complications, and violence. Please, will you rush a gift today to deliver lifesaving care to women, girls, and families in Gaza and beyond?

Already, this conflict has claimed more than 60,000 lives and we hope that the increased delivery of aid can prevent any more. Hunger is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it often leads to life-threatening complications and developmental delays in their newborns.

Right now, 40% of pregnant women in Gaza are severely malnourished and two-thirds suffer from anemia. 1 in 5 babies is born premature or underweight and in desperate need of advanced medical care.

Over the summer, powered by donor support, we reached over 80,000 people with sexual and reproductive health services. We established a new maternity field hospital, deployed midwives to health centers and communities, and sustained six maternal health clinics providing emergency obstetric and newborn care. And, we distributed essential medicines, contraceptives, and supplies to keep these lifelines open.

Now that aid is entering Gaza, we are urgently scaling up our relief efforts to rush lifesaving care to women and girls on the brink of starvation and recovering from years of forced displacements and violence. That means we need more people like you to deliver care to those in need. Please, will you make a lifesaving gift to rush humanitarian aid to women and girls in Gaza and wherever care is needed most?

For two years, women and girls have barely survived the brunt of this conflict, afraid, exhausted, and hungry. We welcome the ceasefire agreement, the release of all hostages by Hamas, and the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank. We are hopeful that peace will prevail and that the suffering of women, girls, and families will end.

Most of all, we are grateful to supporters for being there for women and girls through it all.

With heartfelt gratitude,

— USA for UNFPA