Gaza – SABA
American doctor Ambereen Salimi said she has been forced to perform early cesarean sections on Palestinian women in Gaza suffering from serious health complications caused by lack of food and medicine. Many women are giving birth prematurely to extremely underweight babies amid the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation campaign in the Gaza Strip.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Dr. Salimi appeared beside a newborn suffering from malnutrition in an incubator. She stated that the baby was delivered two weeks ago via C-section. Salimi, who arrived in Gaza three weeks ago with the U.S.-based nonprofit Baitulmaal, is currently working alongside local medical staff at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Severe Shortages and Collapsing Infrastructure
Salimi highlighted another newborn case with clear signs of malnutrition, stating, “This is what we see every day.” She described severe shortages of equipment, supplies, food, and beds at Nasser Hospital and across all Gaza hospitals—complicating care for patients, especially pregnant women and children.
She noted the maternity ward at Nasser Hospital lacks enough beds for pregnant women, newborns, war casualties, and malnutrition patients. This shortage is negatively impacting treatment.
Physical and Psychological Trauma
Salimi described the visible suffering of Palestinians—children, women, men, and even the medical staff—who continue working despite the genocide and starvation campaign. She reported treating severe inflammation cases, especially among pregnant women, pointing out that proper nutrition is essential to overcoming infections—something severely lacking under the blockade.
She added that repeated displacement and poor hygiene have increased infections, and some pregnant women have also sustained injuries and burns from Israeli airstrikes, requiring surgery and special care.
Salimi shared the case of a 22-year-old pregnant woman in her sixth month who lost her husband to an Israeli strike near their tent. The woman suffered burns on her face, resulting in the loss of an eye, and sustained critical injuries that required immediate surgery. Her 3-year-old son was also injured. The woman remains in deep psychological trauma.
She added: “No one can truly comprehend what every Palestinian in Gaza is going through—not just this one family.”
Premature Births, Undersized Babies, and No Medical Support
Salimi confirmed that the psychological stress and malnutrition caused by war are leading to pregnancy complications, including premature deliveries and underweight newborns—children now at high risk due to lack of proper nutrition. “We have babies suffering from malnutrition, burns, and wounds, and there are not enough beds for them,” she said.
She also noted seeing severe malnutrition not only in newborns, but also in men, women, and even hospital staff—who, despite hunger and exhaustion, keep showing up for work. “It’s astonishing,” she said.
Humanitarian Crisis for Women and Children
According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, more than 60,000 pregnant women are at risk due to the collapse of healthcare and food systems.
Last Saturday, the office warned of a looming mass death crisis threatening over 100,000 children due to the total depletion of baby formula and nutritional supplements under Israel’s starvation policy, which accompanies the ongoing genocide campaign that has now lasted over 21 months.
Earlier Monday, the Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed 14 new deaths from starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll from famine to 147, including 88 children.
Every moment, new cases of hunger and malnutrition arrive at Gaza hospitals. Around 900,000 children in the Strip are experiencing hunger, 70,000 of whom have entered the stage of moderate to severe malnutrition.
UN Warnings
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that child malnutrition among children under five has doubled between March and June due to the Israeli siege on Gaza.
Genocidal Campaign and Western Complicity
With American and European support, Israel has waged a relentless genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing 59,921 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, and injuring 145,233 others as of today. The death toll is not final, as thousands remain trapped under rubble and in unreachable areas due to constant bombardment.
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