Gaza faces severe reproductive health crisis amid Israeli genocide

According to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health cited in multiple international reports, only 17,000 live births were recorded in the first half of 2025, marking a 41% decrease compared to the same period in 2022, when approximately 29,000 births were logged.

United Nations agencies, including UNFPA and UNICEF, have corroborated these figures, describing the situation as "catastrophic" for pregnant women and newborns.

The decline in births has been accompanied by a sharp rise in adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Reports indicate thousands of miscarriages, with some sources noting a threefold increase in miscarriage rates since the Israeli genocide started in late 2023.

Low birth weights and premature deliveries have become commonplace, linked primarily to maternal malnutrition and psychological trauma from displacement and bombardment.

UNFPA has highlighted that severe food shortages and a collapsed healthcare system are exacerbating risks, with many pregnant women facing anemia, dehydration, and inadequate prenatal care.

The agency noted that aid convoys carrying essential supplies, such as maternity kits and nutritional supplements, have faced prolonged delays at borders.

Additionally, reproductive health infrastructure has suffered significant damage. Gaza's primary IVF center, Al-Basma in Gaza City, was struck in late 2023, resulting in the destruction of thousands of frozen embryos and rendering multiple fertility clinics inoperable.

International investigations, including those by UN bodies, have examined the impact on reproductive services.

Humanitarian organizations have called for immediate and unimpeded access to aid, emphasizing the long-term consequences for an entire generation if conditions do not improve.

The crisis underscores the broader challenges facing Gaza's health sector, where most hospitals are only partially functional.

Aid organizations have urged the Israeli regime to meet its obligations under the October 10 ceasefire agreement by lifting the siege and allowing the entry of shelters, heating equipment, and other essential supplies, which remain severely restricted.

Many families have been confined to tents since late 2023, enduring months of exposure as Zionist regime’s genocidal war has devastated homes and infrastructure across Gaza.

At least 15 people, including three children, have died from hypothermia so far this month amid heavy rains, collapsing structures, and freezing temperatures, Gaza authorities said.

Since launching its genocidal assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Zionist regime has martyred more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000, most of them women and children.