On May 8, 2024, the Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah, a facility that had been providing nearly half of the Gaza Strip’s daily 180 childbirth services over the past weeks, announced it would stop admitting new patients. The news leaves thousands of pregnant women uncertain about where they can safely give birth, especially as most other health facilities have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks.
Without an immediate alternative, maternal and infant health in Gaza could deteriorate further. New mothers and babies were already facing high risks of malnutrition and infections before Emirati’s announcement. John Kahler, pediatrician and co-founder of MedGlobal, detailed during a May 8 press briefing the conditions in which newborns and parents are released into, including a total lack of privacy and immediate postnatal return to overcrowded tents.
Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza is making health data collection virtually impossible. However, anecdotal reports from international surgeons indicate worsening trends in infant health, including skyrocketing rates of malnutrition and severe cases of intestinal atresia, a bowel condition that occurs in late pregnancy.
The situation in Rafah remains dire, with over one million displaced people fearing Israel’s imminent invasion despite international warnings about the devastating impact on Palestinians. The World Health Organization (WHO) has worked to partially restore Gaza’s health system, but an incursion would likely overwhelm it, leaving it unable to cope with the surge in injuries and deaths.
The situation worsened in recent days as Israel closed all border crossings into Gaza, cutting off the trickle of essential supplies that had been coming in. Hélèna Ranchal, a nurse and Director of Operations at Médecins du Monde, stressed that for days, no supplies—fuel, food, or medicine—have entered Rafah, and no medical evacuations or health workers have been able to enter or leave.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks on Palestinian health workers persist. Surgeon Nick Maynard from Medical Aid for Palestinians recounted his interaction with two young Palestinian health workers—a doctor and a nurse—who had been imprisoned, tortured, and humiliated for 45 and 60 days, respectively.
Despite targeted attacks and severe shortages, health workers are still trying to cope and provide care to patients. However, Maynard noted that patients’ deteriorating nutritional status is hampering recovery, complicating health workers’ efforts further. In his earlier visits, Maynard primarily treated injuries from explosions, including abdomen and limb wounds. During his second tour in Gaza, he observed more complications from malnutrition exacerbating pre-existing conditions. People’s wounds are literally breaking down because of malnutrition, Maynard said.
What health workers are living through right now is only the tip of the iceberg. With rising temperatures on the horizon, health risks in Gaza are set to grow further, with dehydration becoming a major concern due to the lack of potable water. On top of that, the proliferation of mosquitoes, flies, and other insects could make disease outbreaks even more likely.
The one solution that could allow for recovery—a ceasefire—remains unheeded by Israel. Until today, at least 34,790 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, and more than 78,000 have been injured.
As a minimum to start addressing the devastating conditions in Rafah and other parts of Gaza, international organizations are urging the immediate opening of all border crossings to allow aid to enter. Associations including Médecins du Monde assert that the existing land routes would suffice for aid delivery, denying the need for air drops or multi-million dollar temporary piers.
Ranchal emphasized the urgency of the situation: “They could be fast. The thing is, they don’t want to.”
People’s Health Dispatch is a fortnightly bulletin published by the People’s Health Movement and Peoples Dispatch. For more articles and to subscribe to People’s Health Dispatch, click here.
