UN: Thousands of pregnant women, newborns at risk in Gaza

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) yesterday warned of the imminent danger to the health of thousands of pregnant women and newborns in the besieged Gaza Strip due to the shortage of food, water, medicines, obstetric care and fuel, Anadolu news agency reported.

“Amid ongoing hostilities, about 50K women are pregnant in #Gaza. Over 180 are giving birth each day and thousands are due in the coming weeks,” OCHA said on X.

Amid ongoing hostilities, about 50K women are pregnant in #Gaza. Over 180 are giving birth each day and thousands are due in the coming weeks.Their health, and that of their newborns, depends on access to food, water, medicines, fuel & obstetric care. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0RoeRIvLMW

— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) November 12, 2023

“Their health, and that of their newborns, depends on access to food, water, medicines, fuel and obstetric care,” it added.

On Friday, OCHA warned that more than half of Gaza’s hospitals and about two-thirds of primary health care centres were out of service and that 53 ambulances had been damaged.

The Israeli army has ordered the evacuation of all 13 hospitals located in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, but many do not have the means or ability to leave the area. Medics have said they took an oath to protect lives and so cannot leave their patients, while many of the sick are too frail to travel the eight hours of foot to central Gaza. There is also little by way of guarantees that they will not face shelling on the journey south, or be killed in an air strike in central Gaza.

Many have stressed that nowhere is safe in Gaza.

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