As the world continues to work towards the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Palestine faces a complex set of challenges in fulfilling the program's promise of universal reproductive health, gender equality, and women's empowerment, with UNFPA working to support these efforts amid protracted crisis conditions .
The ICPD Promise: An Unfinished Journey
The 1994 ICPD in Cairo marked a global turning point by placing individual lives, rights, and choices at the center of development. For Palestine, this coincided with the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, creating initial optimism for progress on both development and independence fronts .
Despite early achievements, including significant decreases in maternal mortality from 74 to 16.7 deaths per 100,000 live births between 1995 and 2018, recent years have seen alarming reversals . The maternal mortality ratio has drastically increased from 28.5 in 2020 to 47.7 in 2021, representing a major setback for women's health .
Current Crisis Exacerbates Existing Challenges
The current humanitarian situation has severely undermined healthcare infrastructure and social protection systems:
Healthcare Collapse: Only around one-third of hospitals in Gaza are partially functioning after relentless attacks on healthcare, creating life-threatening conditions for the estimated 55,000 pregnant women in the territory .
Sharp Decline in Safe Births: A 41% drop in recorded births in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2022 reflects both the collapse of health services and dangerous birth conditions, with 157 out-of-hospital births reported .
Rising GBV and Hygiene Crisis: Over 700,000 women and girls in Gaza lack menstrual products, compounding health risks, while gender-based violence, domestic violence, and early marriage are rising sharply amid displacement and collapsed protection services .
UNFPA's Multifaceted Support Strategy
UNFPA has maintained operations in Palestine since 1986, adapting its approach to address both chronic development challenges and acute humanitarian needs . Key interventions include:
Emergency Healthcare Response
UNFPA is working to establish temporary health facilities, support mobile clinics, and provide life-saving supplies, though access remains constrained with over 160 aid trucks stranded at the border . The agency supported 166,998 women with safe delivery services in UNFPA-supported facilities in 2024 and reached 433,921 people with sexual and reproductive health services .
Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response
UNFPA supports 60 safe spaces for women and girls and reached 507,268 people with GBV prevention and response activities in 2024 . The agency also provides cash and voucher assistance to help survivors maintain independence from abusers .
Essential Supply Distribution
UNFPA distributes dignity kits containing personal care items, including menstrual supplies, and has distributed 66,384 dignity kits and other non-food items to address the basic needs of women and girls .