Gaza’s Struggle for Survival: Women at the Intersection of Violence and Climate Change
In Gaza, the intersection of military aggression and environmental collapse has created a perfect storm of suffering. This article will examine how the ongoing violence, reinforced by climate change, has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, environment, and people —especially women.
My name is Yasmine Kelkouli. I am of Algerian descent, born to Algerian parents. Growing up, I immersed myself in the rich tapestry of Algerian culture by the stories that echo the strength of my people. While I do not currently reside in Algeria, my heart remains deeply anchored in the vibrant history and culture of my homeland. With roots in the Miliana and Kabylie mountains, I carry the powerful stories and struggles with me. The legacy of Algeria's colonial history profoundly shapes my identity, which reminds me of the resilience and courage required to overcome oppression.
A Humanitarian and Environmental Tragedy
Home to over 2 million Palestinians (Bloomberg, 2023), Gaza has faced intense devastation since October 2023, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and countless civilian casualties. Hospitals, schools, and homes have been systematically destroyed, leaving Gaza in the midst of a genocide. Yet, as the humanitarian crisis deepens, much of the world remains complicit in its silence.
As if the destruction weren’t enough, the climate crisis has intensified Gaza’s suffering, pushing the region into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Already vulnerable due to its location in the Mediterranean basin (Tower, 2024), Gaza now faces a dual crisis: escalating environmental degradation alongside the brutal impact of military aggression.
“As if the destruction weren’t enough, the climate crisis has intensified Gaza’s suffering, pushing the region into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
Rising temperatures have exacerbated Gaza’s environmental fragility. Global temperatures have increased by 1.1°C since pre-industrial times, but in Palestine, the rise has been even more severe, reaching 1.5°C, with projections showing a potential increase of 4°C by the end of the century (Tower, 2024), highlighting challenges that existed even before October 2023.
In addition to rising temperatures, Gaza's groundwater has been severely contaminated with wastewater and seawater. Prior to the current crisis, 96% of Gaza's aquifer water was already unfit for human consumption, and only a small proportion of Gazans had access to safe drinking water (The New Arab, 2023).
Today, Gaza’s water access falls 15 liters short of the survival-level standards set by humanitarian agencies. During a COP28 event on innovative adaptation for climate resilient development, Palestinian officials raised concerns about saltwater contamination of Gaza’s coastal aquifer due to Israel's flooding of underground tunnels, further threatening freshwater supplies (Tower, 2024). Already an environmentally fragile region, Gaza has seen its climate crisis worsen significantly since the onset of the genocide.
Military Aggression Deepening Environmental Degradation
Before October 2023, Gaza was an agriculturally dependent society, but the illegal occupation restricted agricultural exports and imports of essential farming supplies like fertilizers and irrigation equipment (Ahmed et al., 2024). This blockade, combined with shrinking farmlands due to buffer zones and Israeli military incursions, has exacerbated food insecurity. According to UN human rights experts, “Gazans now make up 80 per cent of all people facing famine or catastrophic hunger worldwide, marking an unparalleled humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s continued bombardment and siege” (OHCHR, 2024).
In addition, the extensive bombing has significantly exacerbated the environmental damage in Gaza. Data shows the disproportionate impact of the attacks, with over 29,000 bombs dropped in the first six weeks of the genocide (Garlasco, 2024). This bombardment has destroyed Gaza’s vital infrastructure, ecosystems and human life. The environmental degradation continues to intensify, with toxins polluting the air and soil from decomposing bodies trapped under rubble and unexploded ordnance (Bagheri, 2023).
Thousands of explosives from both ongoing and past attacks, such as the 2021 military operation Guardian of the Walls, have contaminated Gaza’s air and soil with toxins, including the incendiary white phosphorus (Tower, 2024). These chemicals poison the soil, rendering it infertile, and pollute the limited water supply, drastically reducing agricultural viability and harming the population's nourishment (Tower, 2024). Gaza’s already fragile environment is being increasingly harmed by toxic contamination and relentless attacks, creating an alarming situation on the ground, particularly for women.
“Thousands of explosives from both ongoing and past attacks, such as the 2021 military operation Guardian of the Walls, have contaminated Gaza’s air and soil with toxins, including the incendiary white phosphorus.”
The Intersection of Climate Change and Gendered Vulnerabilities
The dual impact of military assaults and environmental destruction exacerbates the struggles of one of Gaza's most vulnerable groups: women. Indeed, as caretakers, providers, and community leaders, Palestinian women in Gaza bear the brunt of these crises. As discussed below, they face extreme vulnerabilities in this precarious environment. Their ability to secure food and water for their families becomes increasingly challenging.
Data shows that since the beginning of the genocide, around 70% of civilian casualties were women and children, with nearly a million women and girls displaced (Safi, 2024). Elderly women, pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable individuals have been forced to leave their homes due to the bombings and are now living in tents.
Moreover, UNFPA statistics show that over 690,000 women and girls in Gaza are of menstruating age and many lack access to sanitary products (Daraj, 2024). As a result, many women are compelled to find improvised solutions during menstruation which increases the risk of infection (Daraj, 2024). These women explain that they feel deeply humiliated due to the lack of basic sanitation, highlighting how much their dignity has been stripped away (Safi, 2024). They can no longer enjoy the simple necessities of life.
The ongoing genocide has also made Gaza’s health facilities almost non-functional. Women are forced to give birth in inhumane conditions without adequate medical supplies, anesthesia, or privacy. The assault on reproductive rights during this crisis has been described as “relentless and particularly alarming” by UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem (Safi, 2024). The collapse of the healthcare system means that prenatal and postnatal care is essentially nonexistent. As a result, mothers and newborns find themselves in extremely dangerous situations.
“Data shows that since the beginning of the genocide, around 70% of civilian casualties were women and children, with nearly a million women and girls displaced. ”
The impact on women's health is severe. Dr. Ghassan Musallem, head of obstetrics at the Nasser Medical Complex, reported an alarming increase in miscarriages: seven per day compared to just one or two before the genocide (Daraj, 2024). This surge can be explained by the panic caused by the loud bombardment and the lack of basic food items critical for sustaining healthy pregnancies. The Ministry of Health in Gaza notes that approximately 60,000 pregnant women are currently suffering from malnutrition and dehydration (Daraj, 2024).
The combination of deteriorating healthcare conditions, the assault on reproductive rights, and the overwhelming physical and emotional stress have created an urgent humanitarian crisis for women and infants in Gaza.
The silent struggles of Palestinian women in Gaza must not go unnoticed. They show remarkable resilience in the face of inhumane conditions, yet they require our attention and support. The intertwined challenges of climate change and illegal occupation make it increasingly urgent to advocate for women's rights and demand intervention. As we reflect on their harsh realities, we stand in solidarity with Palestinian women in a world that has often turned a blind eye to their suffering. We must ensure their stories are heard and their needs addressed.
References
Ahmed, K., Gayle, D., & Mousa, A. (2024). Exclusive: Satellite analysis revealed to the Guardian shows farms devastated and nearly half of the territory’s trees razed. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/29/gaza-israel-palestinian-war-ecocide-environmental-destruction-pollution-rome-statute-war-crimes-aoe#:~:text=The%20full%20extent%20of%20the,of%20tree%20cover%20and%20farmland.
Bagheri, S. (2023). Perhaps Lawful, but Awful: The Environmental Impacts of the Israel-Hamas War. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/perhaps-lawful-but-awful-the-environmental-impacts-of-the-israel-hamas-war.
Baker, A. (2023). The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Is a Looming Climate Crisis. Time. https://time.com/6242238/climate-change-israeli-palestinian-politics/.
Bloomberg (2023). Why Gaza Is Home to so Many Palestinian Refugees. Bloomberg.com. [online] . Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-19/israel-hamas-war-why-gaza-has-so-many-palestinian-refugees.
Daraj. (2024). Gaza’s miscarriages: Generations are killed in mothers' wombs. https://daraj.media/en/gazas-miscarriages-generations-are-killed-in-mothers-wombs/.
Garlasco, M. (2024). Legal Questions Answered and Unanswered in Israel’s Air War in Gaza. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/perhaps-lawful-but-awful-the-environmental-impacts-of-the-israel-hamas-war.
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2024). Over one hundred days into the war, Israel destroying Gaza’s food system and weaponizing food, say UN human rights experts. OHCHR. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/01/over-one-hundred-days-war-israel-destroying-gazas-food-system-and.
Safi, S. (2024). Palestinian Women in Gaza: Cruel Realities of Displacement. Sada. https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2024/03/palestinian-women-in-gaza-cruel-realities-of-displacement?lang=en.
The New Arab. (2023, October 24). How Israel's blockade of Gaza created an environmental catastrophe. https://www.newarab.com/features/israels-blockade-gaza-creates-environmental-crisis.
Tower, A. (2024, January 11). The not-so-hidden climate risks for Gaza’s displaced. Climate Refugees. https://www.climate-refugees.org/spotlight?author=5623aac3e4b0b8034f7aff8f.
Voices from Gaza. (2024). Voices from Gaza: The Experiences of Palestinian Women Amid the Ongoing Genocide. https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/22778.html.
