DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City (AP) — For women living in the sprawling tent camps of Gaza, the daily struggle is compounded by a profound lack of privacy. The ongoing humanitarian crisis has stripped them of much of their dignity, leaving them to grapple with the dual challenges of survival and exposure.

Accessing basic hygiene products, especially menstrual supplies, is nearly impossible. Many women report having to improvise, using old fabrics or even cloth taken from their surroundings to create makeshift pads due to the soaring costs and limited availability of sanitary products. Alaa Hamami, a mother of three, reflects on the changes: “Our whole lives have become prayer clothes, even to the market we wear it. Dignity is gone.” With the ongoing conflict, more than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, with the vast majority now living in cramped and squalid conditions. A significant portion of these individuals are women who, as Hamami noted, live with men and strangers just a few feet away, compromising their modesty and privacy.

The tent camps are fraught with challenges, with makeshift toilets being nothing more than holes in the ground surrounded by hanging sheets. This lack of privacy exacerbates already difficult situations. Women like Wafaa Nasrallah struggle to meet even the simplest of needs, such as obtaining menstrual hygiene products, which cost approximately 45 shekels ($12) — a sum too high for many in the camps. “Wherever we find fabric, we tear it up and use it,” said Doaa Hellis, another mother living in dire conditions.

The United Nations estimates that over 690,000 women and girls in Gaza require menstrual products, clean water, and adequate sanitation facilities. Unfortunately, these needs are largely unmet, with aid unable to effectively reach those in need. Fast-depleting stocks of hygiene kits and exorbitant prices force many women into impossible choices between necessary items like food and menstrual products.

Amal Seyam, director of the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza, warns of the long-term consequences these conditions pose for women’s health. Many women have gone without changing their clothes for weeks, increasing their risk for skin and reproductive health issues. She notes that the stress of displacement has even resulted in disruptions to menstrual cycles for some, as trauma takes its toll. “Imagine what a woman in Gaza feels like, if she’s unable to control conditions related to hygiene and menstrual cycles,” she remarked.

The ongoing conflict has not only devastated the physical landscape of Gaza but has also severely impacted the psychological well-being of its women. Many women have experienced a degradation of their once-joyful existence. “Women are now deprived of everything, no clothes, no bathroom,” Hellis expressed. “Their psychology is completely destroyed.” This desperate situation has even led to instances of girls marrying at younger ages as a means of escape from the unbearable conditions of their family tents.

The recent military campaign has resulted in the loss of more than 45,000 Palestinian lives, with women and children accounting for more than half of the casualties. This figure underscores the disproportionate impact the conflict has on female lives. Hamami shares the stark reality of her living conditions, where 14 family members share a small tent, drastically shrinking her personal space and sense of identity. “Women lost their being and everything in this war,” she lamented.

As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the cries for help grow louder. The ongoing humanitarian crisis requires immediate attention, emphasizing the urgent need for both external aid and a resolution to the conflict.

For more information, read the original articles on AP News and HuffPost.