UN reports sharp rise in gender-based violence and early marriages among displaced women in Gaza

The UN Population Fund reported a sharp rise in gender-based violence and a 123 percent increase in early and forced marriage reports in Gaza during the second quarter compared to the first.

Extreme poverty, mass displacement, and collapsed social structures have led families to marry off young girls aged 12 to 17 in exchange for food or to escape financial responsibilities.

Humanitarian experts warned that adolescent pregnancies resulting from child marriage carry severe health risks due to unhygienic conditions and underdeveloped bodies.