FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 8th, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT

Samantha Kupferman, +1 202-215-9620

[email protected]

Newborns and Women in Gaza Hospitals Dying as Fuel Runs Out  

MedGlobal renews calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid as the preventable death toll inside fuel-starved Gaza hospitals falls disproportionately on neonatal units. 

GAZA CITY – As numbers continue to stream out on the amount of casualties due to the escalation of the conflict in Palestine, women, children, and newborns are being disproportionately affected due to both the constant bombing as well as the reduced access to healthcare services. As of November 6th, 2023, 2,641 women and 4,104 children have been killed in the Gaza strip according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s data. This makes up over two-thirds of all casualties in the area, and thousands more are injured. 

There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant women currently in Gaza who are struggling to access essential health services. 15% of all women who give birth in Gaza are likely to experience complications, and with more than 180 children being born every day in some of the most inadequate of conditions, the situation is dire. 

16 out of Gaza’s 35 hospitals have been forced to close or are nonfunctional as of November 3, 2023. As hospitals run out of fuel, the lives of an estimated 130 premature babies who rely on neonatal and intensive care services are under threat, as incubators and other vital medical equipment is being shut off. 

MedGlobal’s president, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, said: “A new horror is facing the people of Gaza and our doctors working to save them. As hospitals turn off the last of their equipment due to lack of fuel, neonatal wards are falling dark and newborns and mothers are suffering. These are among the saddest yet easily preventable tragedies. We cannot turn away from dying children and pregnant mothers – fuel and aid must be allowed into Gaza today.”

MedGlobal is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for unrestricted humanitarian aid and fuel to be allowed into Gaza. All parties must maintain medical neutrality in order to protect children from harm and afford them the rights to which they are entitled to under international humanitarian and human rights laws. 

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MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world.