International Women’s Day highlights stark contrast of Gaza’s women and children enduring hardship

KUALA LUMPUR: While the world honours International Women’s Day on March 8, women in Gaza endure ongoing hardships caused by the Israeli military regime in the Gaza Strip, which has persisted for five months.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated on Thursday that women accounted for 8,100 and children for 12,750 out of the total number of casualties, which has now surpassed 30,000.

A Gaza resident, Ahmad, 31, described the current situation as hell, especially for pregnant women and children.

He said that in December, he and his wife Asma Ahmad, who was only days away from giving birth, had to flee with just the clothes on their backs when their home in the northern Gaza Strip was bombarded by the Israeli forces.

Recalling that anxious moment to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA), Ahmad said: “I was very worried about the safety of my baby. I thought our end had come.”

He had to carry his wife through concrete debris in the middle of the night, guided by the light of bomb explosions. They were eventually found by medical staff and taken to a school that has since become their shelter.

That night, his wife gave birth, and the medical team assisted with the birth of their first child with the help of their cell phone lights.

Using the scissors readily available, they severed the umbilical cord of the newborn, Faraq, without any sterilisation.

“It was late at night, and the Zionist regime continued its aggression. They shot at anything that moved in the streets at that time. So, we couldn’t take him to the hospital,” said Barra’ Jabir, the nurse who welcomed the birth of the baby, who is now four months old.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that 52,000 pregnant women in Gaza are at high risk due to a health system crippled by the relentless Israeli attacks.

Even babies and children face the risk of death due to the lack of essential food such as water and food.

Pregnant women also experience mental stress, like Malak Syubat, 21, who sought shelter in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, after moving several times to escape air strikes by the regime.

“I am very worried about giving birth in this harsh environment,” said the heavily pregnant woman to WAFA.

Since Oct 7 of last year, the Israeli strikes have caused the deaths of 30,717 people and wounded 72,156. Additionally, numerous individuals are currently trapped under collapsed buildings, and vital facilities such as hospitals have been severely damaged.

It is estimated that 71 per cent of the population in the Gaza Strip now faces a hunger crisis, while 98 per cent do not have enough food, according to Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.- BK