Escalating Crisis for Newborns in Gaza
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has reportedly led to a sharp rise in premature births and a perilous environment for newborns, with mothers facing immense psychological and physical strain. Reports from medical professionals and aid organizations highlight a critical situation where essential resources and adequate care are severely lacking, jeopardizing the lives of the youngest and most vulnerable.
Noor Salem, a 30-year-old mother, exemplifies the struggles many families endure. Her baby, Yazan Al-Khalidi, was born prematurely at eight months and immediately required intensive care due to breathing difficulties. Instead of the typical bonding experience, Noor finds herself watching her infant through an incubator, his fragile life sustained by medical equipment. This experience is particularly harrowing for Noor, who tragically lost her first child shortly after birth during a famine in Gaza in 2025. Her pregnancy with Yazan was overshadowed by a constant fear of repeating this loss, compounded by severe shortages of basic necessities.
“I was afraid throughout my pregnancy because I had already lost my baby before. I was afraid I would go through the same pain again,” Noor recounted. “When he was born, and I saw that he was not moving or crying like other babies, I felt terrified. I did not know what would happen to him. All I wanted was for him to survive.”
Factors Contributing to Rising Premature Births
Since October 7, 2023, Gaza has witnessed a significant increase in premature births, underweight newborns, stillbirths, and birth defects. UNICEF has consistently drawn attention to this crisis, noting that approximately one in five newborns in the region requires intensive neonatal or thermal care. Several interconnected factors contribute to this alarming trend:
- Maternal Malnutrition: The blockade on Gaza has led to widespread food insecurity, resulting in inadequate nutrition for expectant mothers. This increases the risk of anemia, exhaustion, pregnancy complications, and restricted fetal growth, all of which can lead to premature births and low birth weights.
- Psychological Stress: Pregnant women frequently experience severe stress and exhaustion due to repeated displacement, constant fear of bombings, and the deprivation of essential goods. This prolonged psychological distress is a significant risk factor for early labor.
- Declining Prenatal Care: Access to consistent and comprehensive prenatal care has severely diminished. The disruption of health services means fewer women receive the monitoring and support necessary to manage pregnancies effectively and identify potential complications early.
Dr. Afnan Abu Hasaballah, an obstetrician and gynecologist working with UNRWA and Al-Awda Health Hospital, has observed these impacts firsthand. She notes that many pregnant women arrive at hospitals in states of extreme distress, having endured the harsh realities of the conflict. “Constant fear, repeated displacement, lack of food and clean water, and limited access to prenatal care all increased the risk of premature birth,” she explained.
Overwhelmed Health Services and Resource Scarcity
The healthcare infrastructure in Gaza is under immense pressure. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, for instance, is the sole facility in central Gaza equipped with a neonatal unit, serving thousands of expectant mothers. This concentration of demand places an extraordinary burden on already overstretched medical staff and limited resources.
Dr. Abu Hasaballah highlighted the critical shortages: “We were working under enormous pressure, with shortages of incubators, ventilators, medications and basic supplies, in addition to repeated power and fuel shortages, which posed a direct threat to babies inside the incubators.”
Premature infants require continuous, specialized care, including oxygen, respiratory support, precise nutrition, and constant monitoring. The unavailability of these crucial resources dramatically escalates the risk of severe complications such as breathing difficulties, hypothermia, infections, and hypoglycemia. Tragically, Dr. Abu Hasaballah laments, “Unfortunately, we may lose babies who could have survived if they had received basic care.”
The emotional toll on mothers is profound. The immediate separation from their newborns, who are whisked away to incubators, compounds their anxiety. Doctors and nurses strive to offer reassurance amidst dire circumstances, but the fundamental challenges of war—damaged infrastructure, equipment shortages, and overcrowding—intensify every fear.
“Instead of holding their baby and celebrating, mothers see them transferred directly to the incubator or intensive care unit. Their fear is doubled because the war has affected everything, from medical equipment and supplies to electricity shortages and overcrowding in hospitals,” Dr. Abu Hasaballah stated. “We continued working day and night without sleep, and we did everything we could to save every child, but in many cases, the babies’ needs were greater than the resources available.”
Post-Discharge Challenges and Community Support
Even after discharge from the hospital, families face a new set of formidable challenges. Mothers, whose health has been compromised by the deprivations and stresses of the conflict, struggle to provide adequate care. Essential baby items, such as sterilization kits, baby formula, and even basic clothing, are either scarce or prohibitively expensive.
“Many families have lost everything because of displacement, leaving mothers without baby clothes, diapers, blankets, formula or clean water,” Dr. Abu Hasaballah noted.
Organizations like the Qutoof Al-Khair Foundation, led by Akram Abu Jiab, are striving to bridge this gap. Operating in Nuseirat refugee camp, the foundation provides vital support to pregnant women and new mothers, offering vitamins, nutritional supplements, medicines, and essential medical supplies. Abu Jiab emphasized the growing demand for their services, as many mothers lack the resources to sustain their babies' health.
“Premature babies require special care and continuous medical follow-up even after being discharged from incubators,” he explained. “However, many families are facing significant challenges in securing the basic medical and nutritional needs of their children.”
Despite these critical efforts, the scale of need far outweighs the available resources, creating a widening gap in support. Abu Jiab underscored the urgency of the situation: “Behind every baby born in Gaza is a mother trying to protect her child under exceptional circumstances. Supporting mothers and children at this stage is not a luxury; it is a necessity to protect the lives of the next generation.”
Source: Original Article
