Gaza Women Forced to Use Clothing and Tent Fragments as Sanitary Products Amid Severe Shortages
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip – The ongoing crisis in Gaza has created a desperate situation for women, forcing many to resort to using pieces of clothing and even tent fabric as makeshift sanitary products due to a critical shortage of menstrual hygiene supplies. The lack of access to basic necessities, compounded by insufficient water and soap, is exposing women to serious health risks and causing notable psychological distress.The crisis underscores the frequently enough-overlooked impact of conflict on women’s health and dignity. Action Ed, an international NGO focused on human rights and supporting marginalized groups, reports that the scarcity of sanitary pads has led to deeply concerning practices. Women are being compelled to compromise their health and well-being, facing potential urological infections, skin infections, and other complications stemming from unhygienic alternatives.
“The severe shortage of sanitary pads forced women in Gaza to cut small parts of the tents to use as alternatives,” Action Ed stated, highlighting the dire circumstances. “Amid the lack of water and soap needed for personal hygiene, which exposes them to serious health risks…with health complications that may lead to long-term problems.”
The economic strain on families is exacerbating the issue. Abu Ahmed, a father of seven daughters, described the impossible choices he faces. “I was spending on the requirements of women and girls more than eating and drinking,” he said, “but this additional spending, in light of the lack of income and the stop of the economy, put me in front of impossible options: securing food or buying health supplies. The basic,and here I did not find a solution but to give my cotton interior to my wife to make her for women and our daughters.”
Beyond the physical health risks, the lack of privacy and inability to maintain hygiene are causing significant embarrassment and psychological pressure, impacting women’s dignity and mental well-being. The situation highlights the urgent need for increased humanitarian aid specifically addressing menstrual hygiene management in Gaza.
