Gaza women report surge in miscarriages amid war-related hardship

Since the conflict erupted in October 2023, Gaza women have experienced a marked increase in miscarriages and other pregnancy complications, blaming the violence, repeated displacement, hunger, malnutrition and the collapse of health services. Nuha Abu Lebda, who has endured three miscarriages, sold her possessions to afford heparin injections but still lost each baby. Medical staff at al-Awda Hospital in Deir el-Balah say roughly 70% of the cases they see are directly tied to the war and the blockade, citing poor hygiene, environmental contamination and continuous displacement as key factors.

Other women recount losing newborns, premature deliveries and severe bleeding triggered by fear during explosions. Hospitals face critical shortages of medicines, equipment and staff, while many families lack access to regular prenatal care. The ongoing crisis leaves countless mothers grieving lost pregnancies even as active fighting has lessened.