In Gaza’s tents, widows face war’s harshest realities alone

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Mona is a widow, and the mother of four children, ranging in age from nine to two. Her husband, Mohammed, was killed in an Israeli strike in September 2024. Between fabric walls that provide little protection, Mona carries the responsibilities of a family burdened by displacement brought on by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, and the accompanying loss of security. Mona begins each morning trying to secure her family’s basic needs, searching for water, arranging food, and attempting to protect her children from a reality that no longer resembles the life they knew before the war began in 2023. She says that what hurts her most is not only the harshness of their living conditions, but also the feeling that she has been forced to confront every detail of daily life alone. “There is no normal life inside the tent. Every day begins with the same questions: how will we secure our needs, and how will we get through another day surrounded by this exhaustion?” Mona says. “The war did not only take away our homes; it took away our sense of safety and stability and made even the simplest things require enormous effort.” Mona is one of thousands of women in the Gaza Strip who have found themselves facing new roles imposed by the war, taking care of their families by themselves. According to data from the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza, the total number of widows in the Gaza Strip has risen to more than 50,000. The figure includes 28,224 women who became widows as a result of the war, in addition to more than 22,500 widows who were already registered with the ministry before the war. Aziza al-Kahlout, spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza, says the number is expected to rise further because not all widows have yet been registered. “The war has left these women facing a difficult reality, including the responsibility of supporting their families without a provider, amid widespread destruction and the collapse of the basic conditions needed for a decent life,” al-Kahlout says. “This requires effective programmes for economic empowerment, job creation and strengthening self-reliance to help lift them out of poverty and deprivation,” she says. Al-Kahlout stresses that widows’ needs extend beyond financial assistance. They also require psychological and social support, healthcare, and legal assistance related to guardianship, custody, financial rights and inheritance. “Protecting and empowering widows in the Gaza Strip has become a shared national and humanitarian responsibility that requires an urgent and sustainable response,” al-Kahlout says. She explains that widows need regular financial assistance, emergency relief, psychosocial and healthcare services, legal support and educational opportunities, in addition to vocational training and support for small and family businesses. The loss of a husband during the war has not only deprived thousands of women of their life partners, but has also been accompanied by displacement, the destruction of homes, and the loss of stability. Aseel Abu Shaweesh, a psychologist, explains that losing a husband during war represents a traumatic experience with profound psychological and social impacts on widows and their children. She notes that many women who lost their husbands have found themselves facing new and increasing responsibilities while simultaneously dealing with their other troubles. “A widow in Gaza faces the pain of losing her husband, the responsibility of supporting her family, and caring for her children in an environment filled with fear and instability,” Abu Shaweesh says. She adds: “Many women are forced to hide their grief and emotional collapse so they can carry on in front of their children, while the accumulation of daily pressures and the lack of space to express their pain increase levels of anxiety and psychological exhaustion.” Abu Shaweesh explains that children in families who have lost one parent are also deeply affected, especially when the loss of the father is accompanied by displacement and deteriorating living conditions. “A child loses their father and their sense of safety and stability. They may show signs of constant fear, sleep disturbances, and behavioural changes as a result of the difficult experiences they have endured,” Abu Shaweesh says. The psychologist emphasises that widows’ needs include financial assistance as well as psychological and social support services to help them adapt to the new roles imposed by the war. “These women need continuous support that helps them regain a sense of safety and the ability to manage their lives and their families under these difficult circumstances,” she says. 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