UN Population Fund cautions about plight of pregnant women, new mothers, children in Gaza

By Merve Aydogan

ONTARIO, Canada (AA) - The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on Wednesday warned about the dire situation of pregnant women, new mothers and children in the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing onslaught by Israel.

"People in Gaza are starving and famine is imminent in the north," it wrote on X. "Pregnant women and new mothers face a constant struggle to keep themselves and their newborns alive.”

It emphasized the urgent need for a cease-fire to address the situation in Gaza and said safe, sustainable and unhindered humanitarian assistance is crucial to end the suffering.

Famine in Gaza "is imminent in the northern governorates and projected to occur anytime between mid-March and May 2024," a period the enclave has since entered, according to a recent report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative.

The report underlined the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and sustained access to essential supplies and services.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.​​​​​​​

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.