Pregnant women are one of the most vulnerable people in this round of crimes by the Zionist regime. They face multiple threats, including general risk of life due to lack of facilities and resources, abortion and maternity care.
According to a UN report, more than one million people (i.e. half of Gaza’s population) have been displaced. In addition to ordering the evacuation of Northern Gaza, the Zionist regime cut off water and electricity in this area, including in all hospitals in Gaza. Many pregnant women, young children, elderly and disabled people are unable to evacuate this area and need protection.
The Ministry of Health of Gaza announced following the bombing of Al-Ma’adani hospital, which caused the death of more than 500 innocent people. Before the bombing of the hospital, the occupiers had threatened to evacuate the administration. All the red lines have been broken and we are worried about the condition of Al-Shafa Hospital. All the victims of Al-Mu’amdani Hospital were civilians; this hospital was not targeted in previous aggressions and was used as a safe place all this time.
The World Health Organization also warned last week that the health system in the entire Gaza Strip is at breaking point, and the impact will be devastating for the most vulnerable patients, including those injured who require life-saving surgery and those in intensive care units and infants.
Under such conditions, the lives of tens of thousands of pregnant women and newborn babies are in dire straits. If they are forced to move and are denied life-saving medical care during evacuation, they are at serious risk of life-threatening complications or even death.
Gaza’s medical system, severely strained by 16 years of illegal siege, cannot cope with the level of injuries caused by the current bombardment; Emergency services and medical equipment are unable to reach injured people, including pregnant women, women in labor, and newborn babies; It is estimated that 60% of the injured and killed since October 10 are women and children.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced that there are 50,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip who cannot receive basic health services; 5 thousand 500 of them are expected to give birth in the next month.
Of this amount, 19,000 pregnant women are in the population of 1.1 million in northern Gaza, which the Zionist regime has ordered to evacuate that area. These women have no safe place to give birth.
This is despite the fact that health workers, including midwives, have been killed or injured during the attacks of the Zionist regime. The medical staff who remain in Gaza face a painful choice: abandon their patients or risk their lives by staying in hospitals that are on the verge of collapse and under bombardment.
Despite this, most health workers, including midwives, have chosen to stay and continue to provide life-saving care to pregnant women and services for their delivery.
Lack of access to delivery services and care and emergency obstetric care
Pregnant women who are currently giving birth in Gaza or will be giving birth in the coming days and weeks will go through these conditions while Gaza has no electricity or medical equipment and lack of access to delivery services and emergency obstetric care and the risk of life-threatening complications. Life will follow.
The executive director of the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) said: We do not know what is going to happen to these women and their newborn babies. Our clinic is unusable and our options for referrals to hospitals are dwindling by the hour. I cannot stress enough how dire the situation is and how badly we need humanitarian aid to get into Gaza.
Dominic Allen, United Nations Population Fund representative for Palestine, said: “The health care system in Gaza is under attack and is on the verge of collapse. Imagine being in those final stages and the last trimester before giving birth, with possible complications, without clothes, without hygiene and support, not even sure what will happen the next day, the next hour, the next few minutes”.
Alan emphasized: “Pregnant women in Gaza are facing a nightmare situation. There are very heartbreaking stories about the condition of maternity hospitals in Gaza. A midwife at a maternity hospital in Gaza told me that since the start of the conflict, some midwives have not even been able to reach the maternity hospital to provide assistance due to the insecure environment.
He emphasized: “Humanitarian aid and supplies must be allowed to enter Gaza. An open humanitarian corridor and humanitarian laws must be respected; As a result, pregnant women should have access to life-saving health services.”