Khaberni - Six women from Gaza told the Associated Press on Tuesday that some Palestinian men are exploiting the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, using resources to pressure women into sexual relations, which could be termed "sex for aid," a moral and humanitarian scandal emerging from the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
The women, who remained anonymous due to fears of retaliation from the men or their families, told the Associated Press that some of the men were linked to humanitarian aid organizations, such as UNRWA.
He asks about the color of her underwear
A 35-year-old widow reported that she gave her phone number to a man while receiving aid from UNRWA, which led to late-night phone calls.
While the conversation started peacefully, she described how it quickly escalated to him interrogating her about the color of her underwear and whether her husband satisfied her. He asked her to come to him for sex, which she refused, and she said that she never received any humanitarian aid.
While the woman filed a complaint with the United Nations agency, she was told that she needed a recording of the call to proceed further with the investigation - a requirement that was not possible with her old phone model and contradicts the agency's own policy.
UNRWA does not tolerate sexual harassment
Juliette Touma, director of communications at UNRWA, told the Associated Press that the UN agency has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and does not require proof, although she did not mention whether the staff were aware of the widow's complaint.
The United Nations received 758 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in 2023, by its staff, in addition to related individuals and partners, according to a statement released in March 2024. Of these, 100 claims were reported in peacekeeping and special political missions.
Among the 143 victims identified, there were 28 children, and the vast majority of cases (90%) occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
UNRWA's exploitation and sexual abuse network reported receiving 18 claims related to the reception of humanitarian aid in Gaza in 2024.
In November, a friend referred a 38-year-old woman to a man, after being told he would provide her with food and possibly offer her a job. Instead of taking her to his office in his United Nations-marked vehicle to sign papers, it is reported that he took her to an empty apartment. There he ordered her to remove her hijab. While she recounted how he said he would not force her to have sex with him, he declared that she would not be allowed to leave the apartment until she did so. The woman told the Associated Press, "I had to agree because I was scared and wanted to get out of there."
Eventually, the job materialized after she met him again in December, with a six-month contract at UNRWA. He also gave her 100 shekels and a box of food and medicine a few weeks after their first sexual encounter.
She said, "I said to myself that no one would believe me. They might say that I'm saying this just to secure a job."
The hell of Gaza haunts women and girls
Heather Barr, the associate director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, told the Associated Press: "It is a horrifying fact that humanitarian crises make people vulnerable in many ways, often resulting in an increase in sexual violence." She added, "The situation in Gaza today is indescribable, especially for women and girls."
Some women interviewed by the Associated Press reported that various relief workers had offered them marriage several times.
A 37-year-old mother of four told the Associated Press she was attacked twice, once by the manager of a shelter who offered her food and accommodation if she agreed to "go somewhere with him." She realized the request was sexual and refused.
Another mother of four complained about a relief worker who offered her children nutritional supplements only if she married him. After her refusal and his barring her, the relief worker began harassing her with calls from different numbers, making obscene comments.
She said, "I felt deeply humiliated. I was forced to ask for help for my children. If I didn't, who would?"
Women impregnated due to coercive relationships
Five of the women who shared their stories with the Associated Press denied engaging in sexual relations with men, but local psychologists warned that many women did. Four local psychologists told the Associated Press that dozens of women told them about being subjected to sexual exploitation, and many of them became pregnant as a result of the assault.
The findings of the Associated Press follow a report released in June 2024 by the Global Protection Cluster (GPC), a group of non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies based in Geneva, which alleged that relief workers in Gaza had sexually assaulted vulnerable populations, according to a report by "Jerusalem Post".
The Global Peace Campaign in its report mentioned that the alleged misconduct by relief workers includes violence, exploitation, abuse, human trafficking, and forced prostitution.
Israeli siege forces women to surrender
Amal Siyam, director of the Center for Women's Affairs, said, "The Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip and the restrictions on humanitarian aid are what force women to resort to this."
Amal Siyam, who works at the Center for Women's Affairs, said that Palestinian women prefer to focus only on Israel. She continued, "Most of us prefer to keep the focus on the violence and violations committed by the Israeli occupation."
