Urgent Appeal to Protect Palestinians in the Gaza Strip
Issued by “Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development”
His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Excellencies, representatives of the Member States of the United Nations Security Council
Excellencies, representatives of the European Union, its Member States and governments around the world
Excellencies, representatives of the Member States of the League of Arab States
The first rains in the Gaza Strip flooded tents where families had sought shelter after the occupying power’s military offensive displaced them and destroyed their homes. When bedding and clothes are soaked, and floodwater cuts off the route to the nearest toilet or health centre, families face the question of where they will spend the night. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned of the immediate danger to families sheltering in flood-prone sites or in damaged and uninhabitable buildings, and of insufficient emergency relief stocks.
On the eve of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, PWWSD calls on you to act urgently to protect people in the Gaza Strip, with particular attention to women and girls in displacement sites. Preventing violence begins with a place where women can sleep safely, sanitation facilities that protect their privacy, safe access to water and health care, and somewhere they can seek confidential support if they experience violence. Where these conditions are absent, the risks of violence and exploitation rise and access to protection becomes harder, particularly for women with disabilities, elderly women, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and women who sustain families.
Palestinian women and girls have the right to life and to live in dignity and safety. Our appeal draws on Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognizes the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing. It also draws on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Committee’s General Recommendation No. 30 on women’s rights in conflict settings, including the rights of displaced women. We recall Israel’s obligation as the occupying power under Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention to allow and facilitate relief operations when supplies are insufficient to meet the population’s needs.
In light of Palestinian women’s right to live in dignity and safety, we urgently call for the following actions:
1. Protect Palestinian civilians under occupation and ensure humanitarian access
We call on the United Nations and governments with influence to press Israel, as the occupying power, to observe a permanent ceasefire and protect civilians and humanitarian personnel. We urge them to press Israel to lift restrictions that obstruct the entry of aid, equipment and fuel, and to ensure that these supplies reach all parts of the Gaza Strip safely, regularly and without delay.
2. Allow mobile housing units into Gaza immediately
We call for enough mobile housing units to meet the needs of all displaced families and for their installation in locations safe from flooding and explosive remnants of war. Women, Palestinian women’s rights organizations, municipalities and affected residents must take part in selecting and preparing the sites. The units must be insulated and ventilated, have electricity, safe heating, water and sanitation, protect residents’ privacy and be accessible to persons with disabilities.
3. Support families whose tents have flooded and maintain protection services
We call for funding for emergency shelter and rainwater drainage, and for the provision of dry bedding, blankets, winter clothing and hygiene supplies. We also call for continuity of health care, including reproductive health care and care for pregnant women and newborns, as well as psychosocial support and violence prevention and response services. Women and girls who have experienced violence must be able to access support and referral services safely and confidentially.
4. Begin Palestinian-led reconstruction
We call for a funded plan and a publicly announced timetable to safely clear rubble and explosive remnants of war, repair water, sanitation and electricity networks, and rebuild homes, schools and health facilities. Women and affected communities must help set priorities and make decisions. The plan must protect housing, land and property rights, prevent forced displacement and ensure that displaced people can return safely and with dignity to the areas where they lived.
As the global campaign to end violence against women and girls’ approaches, we call on you to announce what action you will take now and what funding you will commit. We call for support for local Palestinian organizations, including women’s rights organizations working with women and girls in displacement sites. We also call on the United Nations to coordinate the response and report regularly on how many shelter units have entered the Gaza Strip and been installed, what funding has been made available, and what reconstruction work has been completed. Families whose tents have flooded need a safe place to stay today.
Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development
09 November 2026
