Life for Relief and Development Provides Lifesaving Support to Thousands of Pregnant Women and New Mothers Lacking Essential Care in Regions of Unrest Like Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Syria and Sudan
The Cost of Chaos
Living in North America is an incredible gift. We have so many liberties, services and amenities at our disposal, the most valuable of which is peace. Peace allows us to have a sense of predictability in our lives. We expect that infrastructure and society will generally run smoothly from day to day. Social services offer us a certain level of stability, ensuring that most people have their basic needs met, including access to essentials, personal safety, healthcare, and education. This is a privilege none of us can deny.
Tragically, this is not the case for so many people in the world who are subject to the unfortunate circumstance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is hard for anyone in occupied territories, regions of unrest and conflict zones, as deprivation is commonplace. However, for vulnerable populations like pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants, the absence of necessities such as food, water, shelter, and medical care, along with exposure to violence, compounds the already overwhelming hardship they face sometimes ending in the ultimate cost of life.
Maternity Disparity in Unstable Regions
Pregnancy is a period when both the mother and her unborn child face heightened risks to their health and lives. Not too long ago terms used to describe a woman who was pregnant included “in a delicate condition” a polite euphemism to indicate pregnancy, emphasizing her vulnerable state, and “In a blessed state” emphasizing the sanctity of motherhood and implying that her condition was to be safeguarded.
Unfortunately, many pregnant women today are not being safeguarded and worse left to fend for themselves without access to medical care, even food and water in some cases, and exposed to violence, and the deprivation of basic human rights.
As of 2024, approximately 24 million mothers are expected to give birth without the presence of a doctor, midwife, or nurse, which significantly heightens the risks for both mothers and newborns.
Every day, 500 women and girls in conflict-affected regions lose their lives due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. By the end of 2023, an estimated 180 women in Gaza were giving birth daily—most without access to essential supplies or medical care.
It’s almost as if we have gone back in time when women who had multiple pregnancies had a maternal mortality rate of 20-25%. This high mortality rate was due to factors like infections, hemorrhage, obstructed labor, and limited knowledge of hygiene and antiseptic techniques. Advances in obstetric care, antiseptics, antibiotics, and surgical interventions have since drastically reduced these rates.
Infant survival rates before modern medicine were also dismal, with 10-30% of infants passing away before the age of five without proper medical care and attention.
The current state of human rights in conflict zones, particularly concerning pregnant women, their unborn children, new mothers and their babies, is a grave concern that demands urgent attention.
It is difficult to comprehend how, in one nation, a woman can receive exemplary prenatal care—where even minor health issues like low iron levels are promptly addressed—while in neighboring countries, women often lack access to basic nutrition and are left to endure childbirth alone, without any medical support. This disparity shows a profound injustice that cannot be ignored.
Key international laws protecting pregnant women include the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) and Additional Protocol I (1977), which mandate special care and protection in conflict zones; CEDAW (1979, ensuring non-discriminatory access to maternal healthcare; ICESCR (1966), affirming the right to health for pregnant women; and CRC (1989), which includes provisions for maternal healthcare. Additionally, UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 promotes maternal health and access to prenatal services globally. Sadly, many world leaders are choosing not to adhere to these laws and as a result, we are faced with an ever-increasing rate of loss of life for both women and children in areas of unrest.
Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) has implemented essential medical programs in places like Sudan and Gaza where healthcare facilities are critically under supplied due to ongoing unrest.
In response to the crisis in Khartoum, Sudan, LIFE provided medical care to 3,598 individuals and distributed prenatal vitamins to 200 pregnant women, helping to decrease the high maternal and infant mortality rate common in conflict zones.
LIFE also sent 15 truckloads of medical supplies to Gaza that delivered much-needed medical aid, formula, diapers, and wipes to pregnant women and new mothers. These deliveries have helped these women to care for themselves and their children before, during and after birth.
In addition to these programs, LIFE is providing food, clean water, shelter, winter clothing, and electricity through ongoing projects to many areas in Gaza that are helping pregnant mothers to receive the essential nutrition they require and have their basic needs met, contributing to healthy pregnancies, deliveries, postpartum periods and their growing children.
Clean Water and Hygiene Needs in Crisis Settings
Hygiene is an overlooked need in conflict zones. The lack of access to clean water and sanitary facilities leaves women and girls more susceptible to illness and infections. For women, especially pregnant and new mothers, basic hygiene supplies like sanitary products are often scarce, compromising health and dignity.
As of recent estimates, about 2 billion people worldwide lack access to clean and safe drinking water, and women and girls are disproportionately affected.
In conflict zones, children under 15 are nearly three times more likely to die from diseases linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence. For infants, this risk escalates dramatically, as they are 20 times more likely to succumb to diarrheal diseases related to poor hygiene.
Through the distribution of hygiene kits in Sudan and Gaza, LIFE addresses these health needs. By including basic hygiene supplies, they help maintain personal health, reduce disease spread, and restore dignity to women recovering from labor, new mothers, and young girls.
LIFE’s water well and clean water projects in countries such as Gaza, Afghanistan, and 20 other countries provide pregnant women and new mothers with access to safe, clean water. This access is essential for maintaining proper hygiene, preventing infections, and promoting overall health during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Family Assistance and Education for Women in Crisis Zones
Economic insecurity is rampant in conflict zones, where infrastructure is destroyed and opportunities are scarce. New mothers, often primary caregivers, struggle to support their families under these conditions. In many cases, single mothers are forced to take on multiple roles in dangerous environments with limited financial resources and little external support.
LIFE's Family Assistance projects provide emergency financial support, basic household necessities, and livelihood training to vulnerable families, empowering women to manage economic hardships and support their children.
Educational programs have been instrumental in creating opportunities for women and girls in regions of unrest, like Syria, Gaza and Iraq. In these areas and many other regions in the world, LIFE has rebuilt schools, providing safe spaces for girls to receive an education and helping them to overcome the barriers that often prevent them from learning.
LIFE has also supported the training of teachers in these areas to ensure high-quality education, while providing scholarships to women for higher education, enabling them to gain new skills, certifications, and degrees.
These projects are particularly important for new mothers without any support. Many women have lost family, including the main provider to the household, to violence in the region, leaving them without consistent provision and/or emotional and physical support.
LIFE’s Family Assistance and Education Programs cover the immediate and long-term needs of women and families, building a foundation for economic prosperity in communities shattered by chaos. By providing essential resources and supporting economic independence, LIFE helps vulnerable women achieve greater stability for themselves and their loved ones.
Giving LIFE to Women and Children Worldwide
The challenges faced by women in conflict zones are vast and complex, yet projects by organizations like Life for Relief and Development provide the foundation for living fulfilling healthy lives. By addressing health, hygiene, economic stability, and water access, LIFE offers comprehensive support to women in some of the world’s most dangerous environments.
As we continue our journey in global gender equity efforts, sustained attention and action are more essential than ever before to safeguard the rights and lives of women affected by unrest.
Give women in conflict zones the essential care they desperately need and donate to LIFE’s projects that support women today.
References
"The Women, Peace, and Security Agenda: Key Trends in 2023." UN Women, 2023. UN Women Report.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). "Maternal Mortality Rates and Gender-Based Violence in Conflict Zones." UNFPA, 2023. Provides statistics and insights on healthcare access and pregnancy risks for women in conflict regions.
UNHCR. Global Report on Gender-Based Violence in Conflict-Affected Areas. 2022. Analyzes data from Afghanistan, Sudan, and other regions where gender-based violence and restrictions on women's rights are prevalent.
LIFE for Relief and Development. "Global Humanitarian Programs for Women in Conflict Zones." LIFE USA, 2023. Accessed October 2023. LIFE USA. Provides details on LIFE’s initiatives, including medical aid in Sudan, educational support in Gaza, and clean water projects in Somalia and Afghanistan.
"Women, Peace, and Security Report 2023." UN Secretary-General’s Report, United Nations, 2023. Discusses gender equality, humanitarian aid funding disparities, and military spending impacts on women in conflict zones.
