Pregnant women in Gaza struggling to get medical care amid ongoing conflict
Maryam al-Kahlout feels her stomach with both hands, hoping to feel a sign of movement from the fetus. Since the war broke out, she has lost contact with her doctor and is unable to seek medical treatment. “I don’t know anything about what’s in my stomach. I don’t know how he is. I don’t know if my doctor is alive. I feel powerless,” Maryam said in a phone interview from inside Gaza.
With at least 50,000 other pregnant women in Gaza in urgent need of help, according to the UN Population Fund, access to medical care has become increasingly difficult. Many hospitals have been destroyed, and doctors have either fled or been killed. Gaza’s inhabitants, with 1.9 million out of 2.2 million considered refugees by the UN, are facing immense challenges due to the ongoing conflict.
For Maryam and her husband, the war has shattered their plans of welcoming their child into the world in just two months. Their neighborhood was bombed just days after the war broke out, leaving their apartment in ruins. “It’s hard to breathe and I get stressed thinking about my health and that of my fetus. How will it affect the fetus? I don’t know,” said Maryam.
The situation is dire for many pregnant women in Gaza, with limited access to essential resources such as water, food, and medicine. Hospitals that remain open are prioritizing war victims and pregnant women, leaving many women struggling to access medical care.
Nidaa al-Barrawi, a 25-year-old pregnant woman expecting twins, now lives in a tent in Rafah after fleeing from her home in Beit Lahia. “I don’t eat healthy food or vitamins. I eat less to avoid going to the toilet. Queuing for the toilet is terrible. Besides, it’s dirty,” Nidaa said about her living conditions.
To help alleviate the suffering of pregnant women in Gaza, several countries have sent aid shipments; however, only a fraction of these donations are allowed to cross the border. Sweden’s aid agency, Sida, recently announced an additional SEK 43 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, bringing its total aid to Palestine to 239 million. This aid includes support for an organization that helps pregnant women.
As the conflict in Gaza continues, the humanitarian situation is worsening, causing extreme hardship for pregnant women like Maryam and Nidaa. The ongoing fighting has made it difficult for humanitarian actors to provide sufficient help in a timely manner. Pregnant women struggle to access medical care and are faced with high risks, leaving many in fear and uncertainty about their futures.