"Palestinian Women in Humanitarian Work: Leadership and Resilience in the Face of Humanitarian Catastrophe"

Statement by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs

On World Humanitarian Day – 19 August 2026

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, observed annually on 19 August, the Minister of Women’s Affairs stressed that the deepening humanitarian catastrophe or crisis in the State of Palestine is not a temporary crisis, but a direct consequence of the continued Israeli occupation and its policies, practices, and grave violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza Strip, alongside escalating attacks, forced displacement, settlement expansion, settler violence, and restrictions on movement and access in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, has  devastating consequences for civilians and placed a disproportionate burden on women and girls, particularly displaced women, women-headed households, women with disabilities, older women, and pregnant and breastfeeding or litigating women.

The Ministry stresses that Palestinian women are not merely recipients of humanitarian assistance, they are essential partners and leaders in the design, delivery, and monitoring of humanitarian responses. Moreover, women are doctors, nurses, paramedics, teachers, social workers, media professionals, volunteers, and women and community leaders have continued to serve on the front lines and reach families and groups facing the greatest marginalization, despite displacement, the loss of family members, the destruction of workplaces, and direct threats to their lives and safety. Recognizing their leadership and local expertise, and ensuring their meaningful participation in humanitarian decision-making, is therefore, essential to the effectiveness and equity of the response, rather than a supplementary measure.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs affirms that a gender-responsive humanitarian response must be grounded in rights, dignity, non-discrimination, and accountability, and must ensure women’s and girls safe and equitable access to food, water, shelter, healthcare including sexual and reproductive health services of education, protection from gender-based violence, psychosocial support, and livelihoods. It must also address the growing burden of unpaid care work and provide safe mechanisms for reporting and referral, as well as specialized services. Humanitarian action must be informed by data disaggregated by sex, age, disability, location, and displacement status, without exposing survivors or those in the most vulnerable situations to additional risks.

In this context, the Ministry condemns the targeting of humanitarian workers, as well as attacks against civilian and humanitarian facilities and restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance and the movement of humanitarian personnel, alongside efforts to undermine the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). These practices are not limited to the Gaza Strip, but also extend to the West Bank, including Jerusalem, where humanitarian, women’s rights, and human rights organizations face restrictions, closures, and harassment that obstruct the continuation of essential services. The Ministry stresses that protecting humanitarian action requires respect for international law, safe, sustained, and unhindered humanitarian access, an end to impunity, and accountability for those responsible for violations.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs calls on the international community, the United Nations, donors, and humanitarian partners to move beyond temporary and fragmented responses towards a coordinated approach linking humanitarian relief, protection, early recovery, and reconstruction, with women and girls placed at the center of planning and resource allocation. It further calls for direct, flexible, and multi-year funding for Palestinian women’s organizations and local institutions, strengthening their leadership, independence, and capacity to reach communities, while ensuring that humanitarian assistance is not used as a substitute for accountability or for addressing the root causes of the humanitarian catastrophe.

In line with its national mandate, and in coordination with government and national institutions, women’s organizations, and international partners, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is working to:

Strengthen the protection of women and girls in conflict and emergencies, and support the national referral system and safe, specialized services for the prevention of and response to gender-based violence.

Ensure the meaningful participation of women and women’s organizations in coordination and decision-making mechanisms, including needs and priority assessments, intervention design, and monitoring, from humanitarian relief through recovery and reconstruction.

Advance national commitments under the Women, Peace and Security agenda, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the National Action Plan, strengthening protection, participation, prevention, relief, recovery, and accountability.

Advocate for direct, sustainable, and flexible funding for local women’s organizations, providing the resources necessary to sustain their services rather than reducing their role to short-term implementation.

Strengthen the generation and use of data disaggregated by sex, age, disability, location, and displacement status, and document violations and the differentiated impacts of the crisis in support of evidence-based policies, protection efforts, and accountability.

Integrate the differentiated needs and rights of women and girls, including sexual and reproductive health, protection, psychosocial support, economic security, and unpaid care work, into humanitarian, recovery, and reconstruction plans.

Strengthen international advocacy to ensure protection and accountability, and regularly brief international bodies and missions on violations affecting Palestinian women and their health, psychological well-being, and social and economic conditions.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs honors the women and men who have lost their lives while serving in humanitarian work and pays tribute to humanitarian workers who continue to carry out their mission despite grave risks. The Ministry affirms that humanitarian action in Palestine is an integral part of the Palestinian people’s resilience and their right to protection and dignity, and that Palestinian women will continue to be key actors and decision-makers in the national response, as well as in shaping pathways towards recovery, reconstruction, and a just, rights-based peace grounded in accountability and an end to occupation.