In a distressing revelation, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that over 20,000 babies have entered the world in harrowing conditions during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, spanning more than three months.
UNICEF spokeswoman Tess Ingram, fresh from her recent visit to the Gaza Strip, shared the shocking news. Mothers are experiencing life-threatening situations, with one nurse forced to perform emergency caesareans on six deceased women.
“Almost 20,000 babies have been born into the war ignited by Hamas attacks on Israel since October 7,” reported Ingram during a Geneva press conference. She emphasized the urgency for international intervention, stating, “Becoming a mother should be a time for celebration. In Gaza, it’s another child delivered into hell.”
The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in approximately 1,140 casualties in Israel, the majority being civilians. In retaliation, Israel launched a vigorous air and ground offensive, resulting in at least 24,762 Palestinian casualties, with 70 percent being women, children, and adolescents, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
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Ingram shared heartbreaking encounters with women amidst the chaos. One woman, Mashael, pregnant during a house strike, awaits medical care after her husband was buried for days. Another nurse, Webda, recounted performing emergency caesareans on six deceased women in the past eight weeks.
“Mothers face unimaginable challenges in accessing medical care, nutrition, and protection before, during, and after giving birth,” said Ingram, urging intensified and immediate action.
The Gaza Strip’s current infant mortality rate is unknown, but Ingram asserted, “Children are dying due to the humanitarian crisis on the ground as well as from the bombs and bullets.”
The Emirati Hospital in Rafah caters to most pregnant women in Gaza but struggles with overcrowded conditions and limited resources. Ingram warned of the dire conditions for pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies, residing in makeshift shelters with poor nutrition and unsafe water, putting approximately 135,000 children under two at risk of severe malnutrition.
“Humanity cannot allow this warped version of normal to persist any longer. Mothers and newborns need a humanitarian ceasefire,” pleaded Ingram, highlighting the urgent need for global attention to this devastating situation.