Middle East escalation: UN Women raises alarm over plight of women, girls
Lagos, April 2026(tbl Africa ) UN Women have expressed concern over the devastating impacts of the recent military escalation in the Middle East on women and girls.
In a statement on Friday, UN Women echoed UN Secretary-General, António Guterres’ welcome of the announcement of a two-week ceasefire by the United States and Iran, while also expressing alarm at the wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon.
The agency reiterated its call for a peace process that upheld the rights, safety, and dignity of women and girls across the region.
UN Women said the escalation has had severe consequences, noting that on Feb. 28, 2026, the first day of intensified hostilities, 168 girls were reportedly killed when a strike hit a primary school in Minab, Iran.
“Since then, hundreds more women and girls have reportedly lost their lives.
“204 women have been killed in Iran, while in Lebanon, 102 women were reported killed prior to the heavy bombardment on April 8.
“Casualties among women and girls have also been reported in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, the occupied Palestinian territory, and the United Arab Emirates.”
According to UN Women, the crisis has also triggered mass displacement, with millions of women and girls forced to flee their homes.
The agency estimates that up to 1.6 million people have been displaced in Iran and about 620,000 in Lebanon.
This displacement, it said, had heightened risks for women and girls, exposing them to unsafe and overcrowded conditions, while limiting access to healthcare, protection services, and livelihoods.
The agency noted that the destruction of civilian infrastructure had further compounded the crisis, restricting access to safe shelter, clean water, and essential services.
“Even before the escalation, humanitarian needs were already critical with an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and 70,000 in Lebanon requiring maternal health services, with many facing significant barriers to care.
“Damage to hospitals and health systems is expected to worsen access to life-saving services.”
The agency further highlighted the challenges faced by women’s rights organisations, which play a key role in humanitarian response and peacebuilding.
These groups, UN Women said, were operating under shrinking civic space, increasing security threats, and severe funding shortages.
“Women human rights defenders have reportedly faced intimidation, arbitrary arrest, detention, and, in some cases, lethal violence.”
UN Women said it was scaling up its operations across the Middle East, providing protection, livelihood support, and coordination, while ensuring that women’s voices were central to response and recovery efforts.
It called for immediate de-escalation, protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access, and gender-responsive interventions, urging that the temporary ceasefire should serve as a foundation for a comprehensive and enduring peace in the region.
