Amid deepening crisis in Palestine, girls face rising risks and a mounting mental health emergency

This article is published in association with United Nations.

More than two years of unrelenting violence, displacement and loss have pushed children and young people in Palestine into what one UN official describes as a “profound mental health emergency”, with girls facing heightened risks, including a resurgence in child marriage.

Sima Alami, adolescent and youth programme officer at the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA, painted a stark picture defined by alarming statistics.

“We have more than one million children in Gaza who need mental health and psychosocial support services,” she told UN News.

The scale of trauma is staggering.

96% of children in Gaza feel death is imminent

According to UNFPA data cited by Ms. Alami, 96 per cent of children in Gaza feel that death is imminent. “This reflects the depth of fear and trauma they experience daily,” she stressed.

Among adolescents and youth, often overlooked in humanitarian crises, the psychological toll is equally severe. Some 61 per cent suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 38 per cent from depression and 41 per cent from anxiety. “Alarmingly, one in five adults contemplates suicide almost daily,” she added.

“This is not merely psychological distress,” Ms. Alami emphasized. “It is a widespread mental health emergency.”

Girls at heightened risk

Within this crisis, girls are among the most vulnerable. In Gaza, child marriage, which was previously on the decline, has resurged sharply. Rates had fallen from 25.5 per cent in 2009 to 11 per cent in 2022, but are now rising again as families struggle to survive.

A recent UNFPA study found that 71 per cent of respondents in Gaza reported increased pressure to marry girls under 18. In a short monitoring period alone, more than 400 marriage licences were issued for girls aged 14 to 16 in emergency courts, but the figures are likely underreported.

“Some families see marriage as a survival strategy amid displacement, poverty and insecurity,” Ms. Alami explained. Others believe it offers protection in overcrowded shelters or helps ease economic hardship following the collapse of livelihoods.

Child marriage exposes girls to violence

The consequences are severe. In 2025, approximately 10 per cent of newly registered pregnancies in Gaza were among adolescent girls, marking a significant increase compared to pre-war levels.

At the same time, access to healthcare has dramatically shrunk. Only 15 per cent of health facilities in Gaza are currently able to provide emergency obstetric and neonatal services, increasing the risk of complications for young mothers and their babies.

Child marriage also exposes girls to violence.

“Some evidence suggests that 63 per cent of girls married at a young age have experienced physical, psychological or sexual violence,” Ms. Alami said. Reports indicate rising divorce rates and widespread severe psychological distress among married minors.

In the most extreme cases, the consequences are life-threatening. “More than 100 suicides or attempted suicides have been documented among survivors of violence,” she noted, underscoring that child marriage is a form of gender-based violence.

© UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

Children who are not getting enough to eat attend a nutrition clinic in Deir al Balah in Gaza.

Persistent sense of insecurity in the West Bank

While Gaza remains the epicentre of the crisis, conditions in the West Bank are also deteriorating. Escalating violence, military operations and settler attacks have driven displacement, particularly in refugee camps, while movement restrictions and checkpoint closures have disrupted daily life and forced many schools to shut.

Children and young people are living under constant stress.

“They face fear of raids, restrictions on movement, and uncertainty about livelihoods and access to services,” Ms. Alami said. “This creates chronic anxiety and a persistent sense of insecurity.”

Such pressures can have long-term consequences, shaping behaviour and mental health well into adulthood. Some young people are even considering leaving Palestine altogether.

© UNFPA/Social Development Forum

To provide a secure environment where girls can seek immediate and longer-term help from gender-based violence, UNFPA supports safe spaces, youth hubs and girls’ tents across Gaza.

Safe spaces offer lifelines

Amid these challenges, UNFPA has expanded support services. Over the past three years, the agency has reopened and supported more than 35 safe spaces for women and girls, providing case management and multi-sectoral responses to gender-based violence.

More than 120,000 dignity and hygiene kits have been distributed, and across Palestine, over 15 multi-purpose youth centres are operating, with 11 dedicated to girls.

“These spaces provide psychosocial support, education and life skills while promoting community engagement and a sense of belonging,” Ms. Alami said. Youth are not just beneficiaries, she added, but “active partners” in designing and implementing initiatives.

© UNFPA/Social Development Forum

A volunteer from the Social Development Forum conducts a Girls’ Tent initiative session.

Services include group sessions, psychological first aid, individual counselling and a digital helpline known as the Youth Window, offering free remote support to marginalised young people.

Still, challenges remain immense. Displacement, limited resources and harsh conditions, particularly in Gaza, where some safe spaces operate in tents exposed to extreme weather, continue to hinder operations.

“Many families prioritise survival over mental health,” Ms. Alami noted, highlighting the need for integrated responses linking psychosocial support with food, health and education services.