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Gaza's Maternal Health Crisis Worsens Under Blockade and Bombardment

Critical shortages of medicine, malnutrition, and overwhelmed hospitals are driving soaring miscarriages and neonatal deaths in Gaza, as Israel's blockade deepens the humanitarian crisis.

3-month-old, Jilan Zarrouk sleeps at a makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Muwasi, outskirts of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Doctors weigh a Palestinian baby at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic in Muwasi, near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Islam Qeshta, a 30-year-old pregnant Palestinian woman, arrives for a prenatal checkup at the MSF clinic in Muwasi, near Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian woman Yasmine Siam, who was pregnant but suffered a miscarriage a few days later, poses for a photo in her tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Overview

  • Since Israel's March 2 blockade, over half of essential maternal and neonatal medicines are depleted, with critical medical equipment barred from entering Gaza.
  • Up to 20% of Gaza's 55,000 pregnant women are malnourished, and half face high-risk pregnancies, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
  • Premature births and neonatal complications have surged, with at least 20% of newborns in February and March suffering from malnutrition or other health issues.
  • Only nine of Gaza's 14 maternal hospitals remain partially operational, forcing medical staff to prioritize critical cases as resources dwindle.
  • Doctors report a doubling of miscarriage rates compared to 2023, with rising maternal and infant deaths linked to hunger, unsanitary conditions, and lack of care.