Reports of violence against women in Gaza surge, UN agency finds

Image source, Reuters By Yolande Knell , Middle East correspondent and Malak Hassouneh , Reporting from Jerusalem Published 12 minutes ago There has been a sharp rise in reports of violence against women and girls in the Gaza Strip, including early and forced marriage, according to a series of recent reports from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

One report, which analyses data collected by 10 organisations, says , external the protracted crisis in war-torn Gaza has "created conditions in which women and girls face escalating risks of gender-based violence".

It also warns that there has been a "severe escalation" in the number of early and forced marriage incidents in the second quarter of this year. Both are considered types of gender-based violence (GBV) by the UN.