Lives of newborns in Gaza Strip ‘hang by a thread’ – UN

The lives of newborns in the Gaza Strip “hang by a thread” and women have to give birth in the streets amid rubble, several UN organizations said in a joint statement.

The organizations are the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, and the World Health Organization.

“Maternal deaths are expected to increase given the lack of access to adequate care,” the statement said. “The lives of newborns also hang by a thread. If hospitals run out of fuel, the lives of an estimated 130 premature babies who rely on neonatal and intensive care services will be threatened.”

“There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza, with more than 180 giving birth every day. Fifteen percent of them are likely to experience pregnancy or birth-related complications and need additional medical care,” the UN organizations said. “With 14 hospitals and 45 primary health care centers closed, some women are having to give birth in shelters, in their homes, in the streets amid rubble, or in overwhelmed healthcare facilities, where sanitation is worsening, and the risk of infection and medical complications is on the rise.”

The UN has repeatedly warned that its medical facilities in the Palestinian enclave are running at capacity, and without fuel supplies may soon be forced to stop helping the people of the Gaza Strip. (BSS/TASS)