The overall situation for women over the past year in areas of armed conflict and humanitarian crises has been grim, with the number of female victims doubling compared to the previous year. The outlook for the current year, which is nearing its end, appears no better, as indicated by the annual report prepared by the United Nations Secretary-General’s office on the protection of civilians in wartime conditions.
A report from the UN Secretary-General’s Office on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts has revealed alarming statistics about the toll of violence on women and children in 2023. According to the report, women accounted for 40% of civilian deaths—double their percentage in 2022—while children constituted 30%, three times their share from the previous year.
The report highlighted that 2023 witnessed 170 armed conflicts worldwide, significantly worsening civilian lives. It noted that 612 million women and girls now live within 50 kilometers of conflict zones, a 150% increase compared to a decade ago.
An alarming 50% rise in sexual violence cases in conflict areas was also reported, with 35% of the victims being girls subjected to severe assaults, including rape. The report described this increase as part of the systematic use of sexual violence in conflicts, either to forcibly displace populations or to fund terrorist activities.
The report also shed light on tragic maternal health outcomes in conflict zones, with 500 women and girls dying daily from pregnancy and childbirth complications. For instance, in Gaza, which endured severe destruction late last year, 180 births were recorded daily, most occurring without medical care or basic health supplies.
In Sudan, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) representative Marie Fix shared a harrowing account of a rural pregnant woman who waited three days to gather enough money for treatment, only to find the health center lacked essential supplies, leading to her death.
The report described this situation as a “war against women,” emphasizing how women increasingly bear the brunt of violence in conflicts due to widespread disregard for international laws and humanitarian conventions, highlighting the growing difficulties women face in accessing healthcare and the rising targeting of women through violence and killings.
The authors of the report pointed to the current geopolitical climate and the weakening of multilateral international systems as contributing factors to the escalation of such violations, while the United Nations reiterated its condemnation of the explicit targeting of women in its most recent reports.
