Gaza: 155,000 Pregnant Women Struggling To Survive, Says Palestinian Envoy

Abdullah Shawesh, Ambassador of Palestine to Nigeria, has drawn global attention to the emerging humanitarian crisis in war-torn Gaza, claiming that approximately 155,000 pregnant women and new mothers are struggling to survive.

He stated, “They are suffering from hunger and diseases, amid life-threatening shortages of food, water, and medical care…” Only three maternity hospitals remain in the Gaza Strip, and they are overcrowded.

“Doctors and midwives struggle to provide adequate care to newborns.”

Addressing a press conference on the situation in Gaza over the weekend, Shawesh lamented that mass graves were still being discovered, with the war leaving an estimated 37 million tonnes of debris and unexploded ordnance.

He expressed concern that the war could take 14 years to clear the unexploded ordnance and rubble.

Shawesh stated, “As of May 1, the number of Palestinian martyrs had reached 34,535, with 77,704 wounded, in addition to thousands of others who are still missing under the rubble or subjected to enforced disappearance in Israeli occupation detention centres.”

He claimed that “Palestinian detainees are subjected to harsh measures, receiving minimal sustenance such as a single slice of bread and a small amount of food to simply sustain their lives and prevent death, resulting in significant weight loss and serious health consequences.”

“Roughly 155,000 pregnant women and new mothers are struggling to survive. They face life-threatening food, water, and medical care shortages, leading to hunger and associated diseases. Only three maternity hospitals remain in the Gaza Strip, and they are overcrowded.

He stated, “The Palestinian Minister of Transport, Tariq Zourub, declared that the losses of the transport sector in the Gaza Strip exceeded 3 billion dollars.” The occupation destroyed approximately 945 kilometres of roads and 55,000 vehicles, accounting for 65% of the road network and 60% of all vehicles licenced in the strip.
Day after day, Israeli crimes in Gaza are exposed, and each day brings a new chapter of genocidal crimes.”

They face life-threatening food, water, and medical care shortages, resulting in hunger and related diseases.