Israeli-based NGO NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief completed a pilot operation to deliver 2,000 menstrual hygiene kits to women and girls in the Gaza Strip, the NGO announced on Thursday.
The distribution was conducted in coordination with the Gaza Children’s Village, an American nonprofit organization.
The organization reported that supplies reached the Khan Yunis area, where residents are currently living in displacement camps and facing environmental challenges.
The kits include four washable, reusable pads that are designed to last approximately one year.
According to NATAN, the initiative was launched in response to infrastructure damage and supply shortages that have limited access to sanitation products.
“The need was highlighted when a friend in Gaza shared that her 14-year-old daughter, experiencing her first period while displaced, had to resort to using pieces of their tent for makeshift sanitary protection,” Alice Miller, CEO of NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, said.
NGO establishes areas for washing, drying reusable products
In addition to the kits, NATAN is establishing areas within the camps for washing and drying reusable products.
Following delivery of the initial units, the organization has launched a funding campaign to expand the program to serve additional residents. NATAN stated that the pads’ reusability is intended to reduce waste in areas where garbage disposal services are unavailable.