UN Women has expressed deep concern over the devastating impact of the recent military escalation in the Middle East on women and girls, calling for urgent action to safeguard vulnerable populations.

The agency echoed the United Nations Secretary-General’s cautious welcome of a two-week ceasefire reportedly agreed between the United States and Iran, while raising alarm over intensified Israeli strikes across Lebanon that have left hundreds dead and injured, including women and girls.

According to UN Women, the crisis has exacted a heavy toll. On February 28, 168 girls were reportedly killed in a strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran. Since then, casualties have continued to mount, with at least 204 women killed in Iran and over 100 women in Lebanon before the escalation intensified on April 8. Deaths have also been recorded across Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, the occupied Palestinian territory, and the United Arab Emirates.

It decried that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with millions displaced — including an estimated 1.6 million people in Iran and 620,000 in Lebanon. Displaced women and girls the body said face heightened risks in overcrowded shelters, limited access to healthcare, and increased exposure to gender-based violence, while also bearing rising unpaid care responsibilities.

UN Women further noted that the destruction of infrastructure has worsened access to essential services. Prior to the escalation, tens of thousands of pregnant women in Gaza and Lebanon were already in need of maternal healthcare. The ongoing damage to health facilities has deepened the crisis.

Food insecurity is also intensifying across the region. In countries such as Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territory, an estimated 24 million women and girls are facing worsening hunger due to disrupted supply chains and rising costs.

In Gaza alone, nearly 790,000 women and girls are experiencing severe food insecurity.

The agency also warned that women’s rights organisations are struggling to operate amid shrinking civic space, security threats and funding shortages, with female human rights defenders increasingly facing harassment, detention and violence.

UN Women reaffirmed its commitment to supporting affected populations across the region, scaling up protection services, livelihoods support and coordination efforts.

It called for sustained de-escalation, protection of civilians, and unrestricted humanitarian access, urging that the temporary ceasefire be transformed into a lasting and just peace that prioritises the rights, safety and dignity of women and girls.