As humanitarian needs in Gaza continue to escalate and basic services remain under severe strain, Norway has announced new support to UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, to expand life-saving reproductive health services and protection programmes for women, girls and young people.
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Norway is providing 31.7 million Norwegian Kroner (USD 3.1 million) through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) to strengthen UNFPA’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The funding will expand access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, strengthen prevention and response to gender-based violence, and scale up youth- and adolescent-responsive protection services.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely fragile, with health services operating under severe pressure. An estimated 50,000 pregnant women across Gaza face heightened health risks due to limited access to care. Only around half of hospitals and fewer than half of primary healthcare centres are partially functional, and those that remain open continue to face acute shortages of staff, equipment and essential supplies, significantly constraining the provision of reproductive health and emergency obstetric care services.
Around 1.3 million people in Gaza remain internally displaced in shelters and displacement sites, while many more are living in damaged buildings or with host communities, often without reliable access to water, electricity or sanitation. The collapse of livelihoods has disproportionately affected women and girls, increasing protection risks and exacerbating their exposure to violence, poverty and social exclusion.
Norway’s contribution will enable UNFPA to continue providing quality maternal and newborn health services, deliver critical supplies and strengthen protection services for women, girls and young people in crisis-affected communities.
“Norway’s continued partnership is vital at a time when women, girls and young people are facing unprecedented challenges,” said Mr. Nestor Owomuhangi, UNFPA Representative in Palestine, welcoming Norway’s support. “This partnership will help ensure that essential health services and protection assistance reach those who need them most.”
“Norway remains firmly committed to safeguarding the health, rights, and dignity of women, girls and young people in Palestine,” said Mr. Åsmund Aukrust, Minister of International Development. “Through our partnership with UNFPA, we are supporting life-saving services and protection programmes that respond to urgent needs while upholding humanitarian principles and the rights of civilians affected by the crisis.”
Norway’s support reflects its continued commitment to international cooperation and humanitarian action that protects human dignity, strengthens essential services and upholds the rights and well-being of affected civilians.
In addition to the 31.7 million Norwegian Kroner (USD 3.1 million) allocated to UNFPA’s work in Palestine, Norway provided 626.1 million Norwegian Kroner (USD 58.5 million) in core funding to UNFPA in 2025.
