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The remaining health facilities in Gaza are under unbearable strain. Amid catastrophe, some 5,500 women are due to give birth in the next month with barely any access to medical assistance, and more than 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are at high risk of malnutrition. Staff have described the horror as endless injured and ill patients stream in, including pregnant women, new mothers, and infants. Newborns are dying because the mother couldn’t attend prenatal or postnatal check-ups — or because there simply just aren’t any facilities left to go to.
The incessant bombings, fleeing for safety, and fear are also taking the heaviest toll on many, said Dr. Ahmed Al Shaer. “This is a result of terror and anxiety [...] leading to premature birth. Such cases are a challenge even on ordinary days — so imagine now. It’s a tragic situation.” For the women that do give birth, every day is a fight for survival for them and their newborns. Infectious diseases are rife in overcrowded, insecure shelters, as well as in hospitals that are also under attack. Hunger, dehydration, and death stalk every corner. When all seems hopeless, UNFPA has managed to deliver enough lifesaving medicines and equipment to support more than half of the births — 21,000 — in Gaza since October 2023. That means your gifts are saving lives by delivering care to those giving birth in nightmare conditions. But with thousands more women due to give birth in the coming months, we cannot stop the flow of support now.
The suffering must end and peace must prevail. We condemn the violence in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, including all sexual violence, and echo the UN Secretary-General’s call for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages by Hamas. Thank you for being there for women and girls. — USA for UNFPA |
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