Overview

• Six women told the Associated Press that local men solicited sexual favors in exchange for food, water, a tent or a job, with some men presenting themselves as aid workers who collected phone numbers during registration.
• Four Palestinian psychologists reported treating dozens of cases involving exploitation of vulnerable women, including instances that led to pregnancies.
• The Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse network recorded about 18 aid-linked allegations last year involving aid workers, community representatives or private contractors, and it has not disclosed the status of ongoing probes.
• Local women’s groups say prolonged war, mass displacement and disputed aid access have deepened desperation that enables abuse, while Israeli authorities say they do not restrict aid and have expanded flows.
• Cultural stigma and fear of retaliation deter many women from reporting, and safeguarding weaknesses in community-mediated aid delivery persist despite zero-tolerance policies.