Each time it seems the situation in Gaza couldn’t get any more horrific, I hear a fresh piece of news that makes my heart sink. Recently I learned from colleagues on the ground that period products have become so scarce that displaced women and girls are resorting to cutting out pieces from tents to use as substitutes.

No one should have to choose between protection from the rain and cold and having something, anything, to help them manage their period. Yet this devastating detail sums up so much about the situation women and girls in Gaza are being forced to endure as this crisis enters its fifth month. On the one hand, it’s a typical example of their astounding resilience and resourcefulness in the face of unimaginable conditions. On the other, it shows how every last thing is being stripped away from them, even their dignity.

In just four months, Gaza has rapidly become one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman or girl. Of the 28,000-plus people killed, over 70% are women or children. With an estimated one out of every 100 Palestinians in Gaza killed, almost everyone is dealing with the trauma of having lost someone: a child, parent, sibling, relative, friend, classmate or neighbour.

“Women in Gaza are now forced to use scraps of tents as period products – enough is enough”