Bringing Life Into Warzone: Mothers' Struggles in Gaza

In Gaza, pregnant women face immense challenges, from overcrowded hospitals to repeated displacement, making medical care nearly impossible. With vital infrastructure like hospitals destroyed, new mothers are forced to find imaginative solutions while the constant threat of violence looms. The trauma and lack of resources severely impact both mothers and newborns.

In a flimsy tent among the ruins of Rafah, Palestine Bahr began her contractions one May day, facing the daunting task of reaching a hospital in war-torn Gaza. After a perilous journey on a donkey cart, she waited six hours to give birth by Caesarean. The overcrowded hospital sent her home soon after, even as she developed blood clots, only to be displaced yet again by Israeli forces.

Bahr is one among thousands of women in Gaza enduring both the physical and emotional anguish of childbirth in a conflict zone. Since the Gaza-Israel conflict reignited, over half of Gaza's population has sought refuge in densely populated areas like Rafah, overwhelming the already strained medical facilities.

With only one-third of hospitals operational, according to World Health Organization, expecting and new mothers face unimaginable hardships. The shortages in medical supplies and staff have led to increased miscarriages and forced deliveries outside proper medical facilities, further stressing the already dire situation for both mothers and their newborns.

(With inputs from agencies.)