Maternity in crisis: 1 in 5 pregnant women in Gaza faces malnutrition

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
29 Feb 2024 10:47
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Conditions in Gaza are further deteriorating as the UN reports one in five pregnant women is experiencing malnutrition.

A Palestinian newborn and a woman's injured hand inside the neo-natal department of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, October 26, 2023. (Bisan Owda for UNFPA)

Doctors in Gaza have issued a warning that one out of every five pregnant women attending a prominent clinic in central Gaza is suffering from malnutrition. This revelation comes amid severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies due to the Israeli genocide and total blockade, causing the last functioning hospital in the northern part of the strip to shut down.

“Every day, we see women and children coming into our clinic suffering from acute malnutrition,” said Dr. Maram, the lead physician for Project Hope.

Every ten minutes, a pregnant woman in the #Gaza Strip gives birth under brutal circumstances, as thousands of other pregnant women in shelter centers and tents face the risk of contracting diseases, abortion, and even direct murder by Israeli forces.#PalestineGenocide pic.twitter.com/VO08sNUJ3S
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 14, 2024

'More people going hungry'

In the three weeks leading up to February 24, a Deir al-Balah clinic in Gaza reported that 21% of pregnant women receiving treatment were identified as malnourished. Additionally, one in ten children examined at the clinic during the same period were found to be suffering from malnutrition, according to the nonprofit organization.

“As infectious diseases spread in cramped areas and food becomes even scarcer, we will see more and more people going hungry – including the health workers who are trying to help. I worry every day that I won’t find anything to eat,” Dr. Maram said.

Despite warnings from the UN about "pockets of famine" and widespread hunger in Gaza, the flow of aid to the Strip remains minimal. Shipments have decreased by approximately half compared to January levels, averaging fewer than 100 trucks per day or 2,300 for the entire month. This falls significantly short of the estimated requirement of 500 trucks daily to meet the basic needs of the population.

"Israel's" aggression in #Gaza has taken its toll on pregnant women.

They have been deprived of their right to follow-up sessions during the various stages of pregnancy.

They have to endure childbirth without anesthesia and basic medical necessities. pic.twitter.com/VSpibNL7Q5
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 29, 2023

The UN's assessments reveal that over half a million people, representing one in four households in Gaza, are facing catastrophic conditions forced upon them by food shortages, starvation, and depleted coping capacities. On February 27, local health authorities reported the tragic deaths of two children in Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Moreover, the limitations on aid have severely impacted hospitals and health workers. In Jabalia, northern Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital suspended medical services on Wednesday due to acute shortages of fuel and medical supplies.

The closure of Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, the last functioning hospital in the region, is anticipated to result in the complete deprivation of essential health services for citizens. Dr. Muhammad Salha, one of the senior managers, urgently appealed for fuel and basic medical supplies. UN figures reveal that merely a third of Gaza's hospitals are partially functional, and those that are operational face overwhelming patient numbers and shortages of supplies.

Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza is no longer operational due to fires caused by Israeli bombing raids. Although 120 patients are awaiting medical evacuation, the hospital urgently requires repairs to restore power and running water, as well as address sewage and solid waste disposal. Humanitarian organizations and the UN highlight that logistical challenges, including movement restrictions, border inspections, and closed crossings, combined with a freeze on visas for numerous staff, are impeding efforts to deliver aid to Gaza.

“It can take up to one month for supplies to enter Gaza because each box in each truck is submitted to screening,” Médecins Sans Frontières has recently said.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed Thursday that the number of Palestinians martyred in the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip has surpassed 30,000.

Another #Palestinian child in Gaza falls victim to malnutrition and famine in "Israel's" genocidal war on the Strip.

Two-year-old Khaled Hijazi has died due to poisoning from eating animal feed as there is nothing else to eat in northern #Gaza when"Israel" is using starvation as… pic.twitter.com/0BtUks1SIl
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 28, 2024

Concurrently, Palestinian medical sources reported the death of seven Palestinian children at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza due to malnutrition after the hospital went out of service due to the absence of fuel amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on the besieged Strip.

With aid still being blocked from entering northern Gaza by Israeli occupation forces and only entering the rest of the Strip in bits and pieces, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday that "if nothing changes, a famine is imminent."