Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: US vetoes UNSC draft resolution that would have demanded ceasefire in Gaza, lifting of restrictions on aid.
Reports of explosions at Hama military airport in Syria
Shamkhani to Al Mayadeen: There is no mention of lifting sanctions in the latest US proposal, even though this issue is fundamental for Iran
Ali Shamkhani, political advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Al Mayadeen: After receiving the American proposal, we are now preparing our new proposal
Shamkhani to Al Mayadeen: Iran will never give up its inherent rights
Iranian Defense Minister to Al Mayadeen: Israeli threats to Iran are just pointless nonsense
Iranian Defense Minister to Al Mayadeen: Those who actually possess the power and ability to threaten Iran do not speak as such; they are simply incapable of doing so
Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh to Al Mayadeen: Iran possesses enough power to render 'Israel' incapable of threatening it
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem after meeting with Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi emphasized the importance of Iran’s positive role in the region and its support for the Palestinian Resistance and its people
Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi after meeting with Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem: Iran is keen to assist Lebanon and stand by its side economically and politically, on the basis of mutual respect

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

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 29 Feb 2024 10:47
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

Conditions in Gaza are further deteriorating as the UN reports one in five pregnant women is experiencing malnutrition.

  • x
  • 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)
    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.

Related News

UN experts accuse 'Israel' of genocide, sexual violence in Gaza

'Israel' kills Palestinian woman, body held hostage

"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."

Read more: Famine in Gaza 'turning children into skeletons': Reports

  • Palestinian women
  • genocide in Gaza
  • war on Gaza
  • Gaza aid
  • Palestinian Children
  • total blockade
  • pregnant women
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Patrice Lumumba: The national hero of the DR Congo
Politics

Patrice Lumumba: The national hero of the DR Congo

A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)
Politics

French port workers block arms shipment to 'Israel' amid Gaza genocide

AP
Politics

Shas party backs Knesset dissolution, Netanyahu's coalition at risk

The head of the Council of Ministers, Dr. Nawaf Salam, received a delegation from the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc at the Grand Serail.  (@grandserail)
Politics

Hezbollah bloc, PM Salam discuss reconstruction, national unity

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS