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
Israeli media: For the first time, Prime Minister Netanyahu is signaling that he wants to end the war on Gaza
Israeli Channel 12, citing an American source: We want to have entered a path toward captive release and a ceasefire before Netanyahu arrives in Washington
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One martyr and two injured in the Israeli airstrike that targeted a motorcycle in the town of Mahrouna
Al Mayadeen correspondent to Southern Lebanon: An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle between the towns of Jwayya and Mahrouna.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: One martyred in the Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Kawnin
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone targets a car in the town of Kawnin
Naeini: If our national interests are attacked again, our response this time will be stronger and more destructive
Naeini: The war has proven that the settlers are defenseless against Iranian missile and drone forces
Naeini: Trump lacks an understanding of the true strength of the Iranian people and is so deluded as to believe he can change the reality of Iran's victory
Naeini: The defeat led to Trump's confusion and loss of balance, which was reflected in his ill-considered statements

Childbirth in Gaza: Once joyous occasion, now struggle for survival

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Lancet
  • 25 Oct 2024 15:50
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

International physicians working alongside local Palestinian healthcare workers have documented the breakdown of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure during medical missions, as per The Lancet.

Listen
  • x
  • Asser and Aysal Abu al-Qumsan were killed when they were four days old. (Muhammad Abu al-Qumsan)
    Asser and Aysal Abu al-Qumsan were killed when they were four days old (Muhammad Abu al-Qumsan)

A recent report by The Lancet has underscored the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli military offensive, which has triggered widespread famine and a drastic decline in maternal health services, profoundly affecting the well-being of pregnant women and children. 

The report highlighted that the near-total collapse of Gaza's healthcare system, coupled with restricted access to essential medical services, has resulted in a tragic surge in preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.

Gaza's silent crisis: Maternal health in the crosshairs of Israeli genocide

International physicians working alongside local Palestinian healthcare workers have documented the breakdown of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure during medical missions, as per the report.

They reported as cited by The Lancet that what was once a celebratory event—childbirth—has now become a struggle for survival. Prenatal care is nearly nonexistent, and the incidence of premature labor has surged, often due to the chronic stress associated with displacement, malnutrition, and the trauma of relentless airstrikes.

With hospitals overwhelmed by mass casualties, many maternity wards, according to the report, have become non-functional, forcing some women to give birth in unsanitary conditions without the assistance of midwives or doctors.

This reproductive crisis is not merely a consequence of military actions but a deliberate outcome of policies that restrict access to healthcare, the report added.

Israeli blockade turns pregnancy into a life-threatening experience

The Lancet warned that the targeting of maternity hospitals and the blockade limiting essential medical supplies—including anesthetics and maternity kits—have transformed pregnancy into a life-threatening experience for thousands of women.

Reports from local physicians in Gaza reveal an alarming rise in maternal deaths, miscarriages, and stillbirths. Additionally, many pregnant women are suffering from malnutrition, which exacerbates these tragic outcomes. Without access to adequate nutrition and healthcare, they endure pregnancies under conditions that challenge human dignity, as per the report.

The Lancet concluded by highlighting that the Israeli blockade, now in its second decade and tightened further in recent months, has intensified the suffering of the residents of Gaza, revealing dire implications for future generations.

The prevention of births in Gaza, as per the report, is not simply collateral damage; it constitutes a violation of international law and highlights the structural Israeli violence inflicted upon the population.

  • Gaza newborns
  • Gaza genocide
  • Israeli occupation
  • Israeli blockade
  • pregnant women
  • Israeli genocide
  • Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iranian worshippers carry their country's flags in a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, after the Friday prayers ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP)

Iran warns of NPT withdrawal, Strait of Hormuz closure after US attack

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
In this June, 12, 2021, file photo, former Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani sits in a meeting in Tehran, Iran.
Politics

Iran strategically foiled Israeli-US scheme, Advisor Shamkhani says

Sheikh Naim
MENA

Let no one think they can subjugate Hezbollah: Sheikh Qassem

Screengrab from a video published by the al-Qassam Brigades shows confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)
Politics

Al-Qassam releases video of deadly ambush with Israeli forces in Gaza

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi, attends an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, Monday, June 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran bars IAEA chief Grossi from nuclear facility inspections

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