Gaza has seen a rise in the number of child marriages, according to reports reviewed by The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) published in early March, as Palestinian families have reportedly begun seeing marrying off their underage daughters as a financial lifeline.
The likely cause of the increasing number of child brides seen in the Palestinian territory is the displacement, poverty, and collapse of social, legal, health, and protection systems brought about by Hamas’s two-year war against Israel, according to the publication.
While the rate of children getting married has steadily decreased over the past decade, from 28% in 2009 to 17.9% in 2022, the war undid much of the progress, the report noted.
Disruptions in Gaza’s health and legal systems have created barriers in assessing the current rate, though UNFPA found that almost 10% of newly registered pregnancies in December 2025 were attributed to adolescents.
The reported increase in child marriage has accompanied a rise in reports of coercion, gender-based violence, and severe psychological distress among Gaza’s adolescent girls, the agency published.
Gaza child marriage increase linked to abuse
A UNFPA study from January 2025 found that 71% of girls in Gaza reported increased pressure to marry. In a short monitoring period alone, more than 400 marriage licences were also issued for girls aged 14 to 16 in emergency courts.
“Some families see marriage as a survival strategy amid displacement, poverty, and insecurity,” Sima Alami, an adolescent and youth programme officer at the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, explained.
UNFPA stressed that the official figures were likely underestimated, as many unions involving minors are not formally recognized until the girl reaches the legal age to wed or becomes pregnant, which leaves the young girls without the legal protection and rights a married woman would be entitled to.
Sharing the story of 14-year-old Khan Yunis-based Amal, who was forced to marry her cousin at her aunt’s behest, UNFPA outlined the physical trauma associated with child marriage and the sexual abuse that accompanies it.
She suffered severe bleeding on her wedding night as she was forced to have sex at a young age, while others shared stories of miscarriages and abuse.
“I told myself maybe life would be better. Maybe someone would care for me, and I wouldn’t go to bed hungry. But my wedding night was very hard,” Amal told UNFPA. “Now I think about becoming a mother, but I keep wondering how I will feed my child, and whether my body can survive pregnancy and childbirth.”
“Some evidence suggests that 63 per cent of girls married at a young age have experienced physical, psychological or sexual violence,” Alami said, adding that more than 100 suicides or attempted suicides have been documented among survivors of the violence.
Hiba, who was 16 when she was married off in Beit Hanoun, went through repeated miscarriages. “I always rejected the idea of marriage. I wanted to succeed in my beauty salon project and build my future,” she told the UN agency.
“But the life I dreamed of disappeared. I went through repeated miscarriages within six months. The war took my home, my work, and even my pregnancies,” she added.
Safa, 15, told UNFPA that she agreed to marry after the war left her displaced and in need of a home. “There was no house, no celebration, only a tent. I felt older than my years, carrying responsibilities that were too heavy for me. Now I am waiting for a child in a damaged room, after everything we lost,” she shared.