CARE International UK

10/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/09/2026 18:00

CARE International UK’s statement on the one-year anniversary of Gaza ceasefire

Helen McEachern, CEO of CARE International UK, says:

"One year on from the Gaza ceasefire, Palestinians are paying the price of its failure.

"More than 1,400 people have been killed since it took effect. Every one of them was a person with a name, a family and a future cut cruelly short. Airstrikes and shelling by the Israeli Government, supported in part by British arms sales, remain the primary cause of these deaths.

"Israel's unlawful occupation also means mean women and girls are facing escalating violence, giving birth without medical care, and carrying the overwhelming burden of keeping their families alive, often on their own.

"The UK Government must immediately halt all arms sales to Israel and ensure aid reaches the women and their communities on the ground fighting to survive."

Notes to editor:

  • Ongoing hostilities, the destruction of Gaza's health system and movement restrictions have severely affected women and girls. Nearly 4,000 miscarriages were recorded in the first half of 2026, severe maternal morbidity reached 82 per 1,000 deliveries, and caesarean sections accounted for 49% of births. More than 1 million women and girls lack adequate water for hygiene and menstruation, while over 540,000 lack menstrual hygiene supplies.
  • CARE has over 100 staff across Gaza and the West Bank and is delivering aid directly and through partners including women-led organisations (WLOs). Services include clean water, cash assistance and providing critical healthcare to women and children.
  • In Palestine, women-led organisations are among those most able to respond and support in marginalized communities but face some of the greatest barriers to funding, networks and decision-making.
  • Women-led organisations supported by CARE provide legal aid, psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention and response, shelter support, livelihoods assistance and community outreach, including for groups at heightened risk of violence and discrimination, including refugees, women, and girls.
  • For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]
CARE International UK published this content on October 10, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 10, 2026 at 00:00 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]