Period poverty in Palestine

The United Feminists Club at Burlingame High School is raising money to benefit American Near East Refugee Aid; any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause, which means so much to us.

According to NPR, displaced women living in Rafah are so desperate they are cutting out small pieces of the tents they rely on for shelter from the cold and rain to use as a substitute for period products, risking infection. Facing displacement, overcrowded living conditions, and a lack of access to water and menstrual hygiene products such as sanitary napkins and tampons, women have been taking norethisterone tablets – ordinarily prescribed for conditions such as severe menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and painful periods – to avoid the discomfort and pain of menstruation. The UN currently estimates that nearly 700,000 women and girls in Gaza have menstrual cycles, which they are trying to manage with little privacy or access to pads, toilets, and clean water. In the shelters run by Unrwa, the UN aid agency for Palestinians, on average there is only one toilet per 486 people. Your donation can help women living in terrifying circumstances fulfill a basic need.

More information about American Near East Refugee Aid: Anera, which has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in Palestine (West Bank and Gaza), Lebanon and Jordan. We mobilize resources for immediate emergency relief and for sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development. Our staff serve in their communities, navigating the politics that constrict progress to get help where it’s needed most.