Article By: Hiba Hayek

Photo By: Abed Zagout

In Gaza, where life now is nothing but displacement, bloodshed, survival and blockade, new invisible crises unfold, which are period poverty, lack of needed healthcare for pregnant women. As homes collapse and hospitals fall silent, menstruation becomes a source of pain, humiliation, and risk for hundreds of thousands of women and girls. Period poverty and pregnancy injustice is the lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation and reproductive healthcare. These issues have reached an alarming stage in Gaza, adding up to an already disastrous humanitarian situation. 

According to a report by UN Women (2024a), more than 690,000 women and adolescent girls do not have the access to essential menstrual and reproductive care, forced to improvise and find alternatives in whatever is available, even if unhealthy, amid rubble and siege. This situation is not only dangerous on the physical level, but it also has a detrimental effect on the psychological state of women in times of crisis. The inability to meet basic needs related to menstrual hygiene has contributed to rising levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion among women (Taha, 2024). This is since women are enduring the stress of displacement, conflict, and trauma while simultaneously managing menstruation without privacy, hygiene, or relief.

In numbers, according to a report by The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA, 2024), over 1.7 million individuals in Gaza have been displaced, seeking a safe shelter. The majority, if not all the shelters, are overcrowded, where it has been reported that one toilet serves an average of 480 individuals, making the menstrual hygiene not only uncomfortable but also unsafe. In addition to this, with clean water being unavailable, maintaining basic hygiene is nearly impossible.

In some parts of Gaza, some basic menstruation products are available, they are priced at extortionate rates. Due to this shortage, women have resorted to using torn clothes, tent scrapes and tissues during menstruation which is an example of how reproductive injustice has become a serious issue in Gaza (Australian Human Rights Institute, 2024). Such alternative methods may lead to infections, toxic shock syndrome, and long-term reproductive health issues (Mayo Clinic, 2022). During these times, many girls and women face severe complications when it comes to menstruation and pregnancy needing intense medical care. However, this has become a luxury that Gaza’s shattered healthcare system cannot provide. According to a study done by the World Health Organization (2024), it has been confirmed 84% of Gaza’s health facilities are no longer operational, making any kind of healthcare nearly nonexistent. The destruction of pharmacies and disruption of supply chains have limited access to all forms of medication in Gaza, including hormonal contraceptives (UN Women, 2024a). When available, menstrual and hygiene products such as pads and shampoos are often low quality and sold at exorbitant prices, making them unaffordable for many women (Ayyoub, 2024). 

One of the most disturbing aspects of this crisis is its invisibility within the broader humanitarian response. Menstrual health has largely been overlooked in emergency planning and aid distribution (Taha, 2024). International legal frameworks like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) obligate states to provide access to adequate healthcare, clean water, and sanitation (Rauf, 2024). The failure to meet these needs during the war in Gaza constitutes a violation of these international norms. Not only this, but the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation has condemned the use of water deprivation as a weapon of war, describing it as a potential crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute (Rauf, 2024). The destruction of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure—compounded by Israel’s blockade—has created conditions where even basic hygiene practices are nearly impossible (Ayyoub, 2024). The lack of privacy, sanitary products, and water contributes to a profound sense of humiliation. The shame and stigma surrounding menstruation, already present in many communities, are intensified in such crowded and desperate conditions. As one UN report notes, period poverty is not just about hygiene—it is a question of dignity, bodily autonomy, and psychological wellbeing (UN Women, 2024b).

The reproductive health consequences of this conflict are not limited to menstruation. Gaza’s healthcare system has collapsed under the weight of sustained attacks and siege. According to UN Women (2024c), 84% of health facilities in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, while the remaining 16% lack essential medicines, electricity, and water. These conditions are catastrophic for the 15,000 pregnant women currently in Gaza, many of whom face malnutrition, risk of miscarriage, and a lack of prenatal or postnatal care. Malnourishment among pregnant women not only threatens their lives but also poses long-term developmental risks to their children. According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), approximately 183 women give birth each day without access to midwives, doctors, or sterile medical environments. And since October 2023, the miscarriage rate in Gaza has tripled, a statistic that highlights the lethal impact of war on maternal health (International Relations Review, 2025). 

The war in Gaza has created a reproductive health crisis that remains largely invisible to the global public and humanitarian responders. Such issues are not secondary concerns, it is a critical dimension of public health, gender equity, and human rights. Denying women access to menstrual hygiene products, clean water, and safe sanitation is a form of structural violence that must be urgently addressed.