The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has raised concerns about the alarming conditions faced by pregnant women and mothers in Gaza, amidst the breakdown of healthcare services in the region. With nearly six months of ongoing conflict, these vulnerable groups are grappling with severe shortages of food, water, and medical assistance, in addition to the looming threat of famine.
According to the IRC's recent findings, the daily death toll in Gaza has included an average of 37 mothers since October 7. Approximately 60,000 pregnant women in the region are now encountering significant limitations or a complete lack of access to essential prenatal health services. Shockingly, out of nearly 200 women giving birth daily in Gaza, the vast majority are left without the crucial support of midwives, doctors, or proper healthcare facilities during or after delivery.
Before the conflict escalated, there were 36 hospitals in operation in Gaza. However, currently, only two out of the 12 partially functioning hospitals can provide maternity services. This dire situation has forced pregnant and breastfeeding women, numbering over 155,000, into a highly precarious state of malnutrition, with their nutritional status deteriorating significantly since December.
Arvind Das, the IRC's team lead for the Gaza crisis, highlighted that women are now being compelled to give birth in makeshift conditions, amidst ruins or overcrowded shelters, due to the acute shortage of medical care. The lack of electricity, medication, medical equipment, and healthcare personnel, exacerbated by Israeli restrictions on aid, has severely compromised the delivery of healthcare services in Gaza.
