Funding to prevent gender-based violence in Gaza and West Bank alarmingly low at just £3 per person in 2024

Latest figures from the UN reveal that global funding to protect against gender-based violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2024 amounted to a mere £3 per person, leaving millions of women and girls without the support they need to recover from emotional distress and feel safe from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Since October 2023, over 950,000 women and girls in Gaza have been displaced from their homes1 and thousands have been direct victims of violence. In situations of displacement, the risk of women facing gender-based violence (GBV) increases [2], with women and girls accounting for 95% of verified cases [3].

Nagore Moran, Gender in Emergencies Advisor at Plan International UK, says:

“Crises and conflicts worsen existing gender inequalities, leading to a surge in gender-based violence. Displacement, food insecurity, and disruptions to essential services increase the risk of all forms of gender-based violence which include sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and early and forced child marriage. The devastating physical and mental health impacts of this on women and girls can be lifelong. In times of crisis, it is critical to ensure survivors have access to lifesaving, age-appropriate support that prioritises their needs."

Protection for children specifically also remains drastically underfunded across Gaza and the West Bank, standing at a mere £7 per child across 2024. Child protection in emergencies is vital as children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation in humanitarian situations. Without adequate funding, children can lose all access to critical mental health and psychosocial support services, the impact of which can last a lifetime.

This violence also prevents children from accessing and completing education – at least 85% of schools in Gaza will need full reconstruction to be functional again [4]. Girls living in crisis-affected areas are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school compared to girls not in these contexts [5]. A whole generation’s future is at risk, with children in Gaza and the West Bank receiving just £19 per child across the year in education funding through the UN-led 2024 Humanitarian Appeal. This is staggeringly low compared to the average per-pupil funding of £7,460 per year in the UK [6].

Amelia Whitworth, Head of Policy, Campaigns & Youth at Plan International UK says:

“As is all too often the case in times of conflict, girls and women forced from their homes are facing an increased threat of gender-based violence and abuse in Gaza and the West Bank, with the attacks and bombing by the Israeli military destroying services for survivors of gender-based violence. This is taking a toll on the already fragile mental health of girls and women who are losing family, friends and homes.

“Whilst we welcome the UK Government’s recent funding announcement of £19 million for Gaza, this is only a small step - much more funding is needed urgently to prevent generations of women and girls from having their futures decimated.

“It is also clear that no amount of funding can alone solve this crisis. Girls and women must be able to access age-appropriate gender-based violence services in a safe, inclusive and dignified environment, and peace must be secured so that children can return to school. The UK Government must halt the export of all arms, weapon parts and ammunitions to Israel, including parts for fighter jets, and urgently push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire across the region. Only then will we see girls and young women have the chance to rebuild their lives.”

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Notes to editors

[1] Facts and figures: Women and girls during the war in Gaza – UN Women

[2] Gender-based Violence - UNHCR

[3] Sexual Violence in Conflict - UN 

[4] Verification of damages to school - Global Education Cluster

[5] Girls' Education in Conflict is most at risk - World Bank

[6] School funding: Everything you need to know - Department for Education

Methodology

Per child funding figures were calculated by taking the total sector 2024 funding figures for oPts from the UNOCHA website and dividing them by the latest population figures of 2.41 million children under 18 in Gaza and the West Bank; 2.76 million women and girls in Gaza and West Bank. Figures up to date as of 17 December 2024.

About Plan International UK

Plan International UK is a global children’s charity striving for an equal world. One where every child can reach their full potential and every girl can choose her own future. 

Poverty, violence, and discrimination still hold back millions of children around the world. And it’s often girls that are most affected. That’s why ensuring girls get equal chances in life is at the heart of everything we do.  

We work across more than 80 countries to build a future where every child is safe and receives an education. A world where all girls are free from violence, in control of their own body, know their rights and have their voices heard. 

And if disaster strikes, we’re there too. We work to protect children, keep them learning and help their communities recover.

But we don’t do it alone. To create lasting change, we work together with children, local communities, partners, and our supporters who believe a better future is possible. 

We won’t stop until we are all equal.