Help Pregnant Moms Give Birth Safely in Disasters

KYIV, Ukraine—“We had already started surgery—a Cesarean section,” recalled Nataliia, a senior doctor at the Kyiv Regional Perinatal Center. “But at the beginning of the operation, the electricity went out.”

It was a freezing morning in January when the power was cut in Kyiv. Across Ukraine, targeted strikes over recent months have knocked out power, heating, and running water for millions of households, while temperatures have dropped to -4°F.

Inside the maternity hospital, health workers fought to keep women and newborns alive. Operating room lights, oxygen systems, incubators, and blood storage all depend on stable power—but the teams did not stop.

$150 can provide supplies, medications, and equipment to health clinics—helping ensure lifesaving care continues even during power outages.

“We have no right to panic,” Nataliia told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. “We continue our work.”

She did not want the patient on her operating table to feel the fear of a healthcare system under attack. “She saw that the light disappeared, that’s all. She was focused on the birth of her child.”

Families at Home Face the Same Outages

Electricity is critical for warmth—and for babies, warmth means survival. In the neonatal unit, doctors use transport incubators to move babies from delivery rooms to intensive care while protecting them from the cold.

Newborns are particularly vulnerable to hypothermia, as their body temperature can drop quickly in the first minutes after birth. Staff at the center described using a “thermal chain” of warming measures—from mobile and stationary incubators to heated rooms and extra blankets—to keep newborns stable, especially those born prematurely.

$50 can provide 10 emergency birth kits, including essential supplies to help keep mothers and newborns safe during delivery.

But power outages put this system at risk—and the danger does not end once mother and baby return home. Iryna, pregnant with her second child, explained: “Because of the outages, there’s no backup power, and the house doesn’t have time to warm up. Plus it cools down quickly.”

Her solution is familiar across Ukraine this winter: layers, improvisation, and endurance. “We bundle up. We try to keep warm.”

Stress Is Showing Up in Delivery Rooms

Health workers say the war is reshaping birth outcomes across Ukraine. From repeated displacement to disrupted healthcare services, doctors are seeing rising complications.

Premature birth rates have increased, with doctors linking this to prolonged and severe stress. In frontline areas, rates are reported to be roughly double the national average.

They are also seeing more potentially life-threatening complications, including hypertension and uterine rupture—clear signs of a maternal health system under strain.

In these conditions, reliable electricity becomes essential. It determines whether an already overstretched healthcare system can respond to emergencies when women and newborns are most vulnerable.

The Healthcare Workers Keeping It All Running

Ukraine’s healthcare system has been forced to adapt—through innovation, improvised safeguards, and the unwavering dedication of its workforce.

Nataliia described this as the most difficult period of the full-scale invasion so far—both emotionally and physically.

After long and exhausting shifts, health workers return home to apartments that may also lack electricity, heat, or running water.

“Despite bad weather, shelling, or air raid alerts, we still have to pull ourselves together and go to work, leaving our children or grandchildren at home,” Nataliia said.

“And when we arrive, our patients shouldn’t see our anxiety. Because we are responsible not only for ourselves, but for other people’s lives.”

The strain continues to build.

“We are also people. We have our own children and families,” she added. “We also get sick. We also feel afraid. We also suffer. But we have to keep going.”

Adapting to Prevent Collapse

With support from UNFPA, the perinatal center has installed layered backup power systems—including solar panels and emergency generators—to maintain electricity long enough to continue critical procedures when the grid fails.

For the most part, these systems work—but they are costly and not designed as permanent solutions. Even when functioning, they place constant strain on resources, requiring fuel, maintenance, and staff capacity.

Across Ukraine, hospitals are already stretched thin. While the government prioritizes healthcare facilities for fuel and equipment, financial constraints mean much of the country’s lifesaving energy support has come from international partners.

UNFPA is also supporting maternity hospitals across the country with backup energy systems and essential sexual and reproductive healthcare supplies.

Still, as winter continues and infrastructure remains under threat, experts warn that maternity hospitals can keep the lights on, incubators running, and oxygen flowing only with sustained international support.

$100 can help fund a midwife in a community for one month, ensuring women have access to skilled care—even in crisis settings.

WHITE NILE STATE, Sudan — In the heart of Sudan’s White Nile State, Kosti Maternity Hospital stands as a beacon of hope. This vital facility—supported by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency—is the main referral point for the region and a lifeline not only for the local community but also for more than a quarter million internally displaced people across the state. The hospital manages an average of 15 childbirths every day and thousands of deliveries annually.

Midwife Fatma has witnessed the changing landscape of healthcare as crisis has taken hold. ©UNFPA Sudan

Midwife Fatma has been a pillar of Kosti Maternity Hospital since 1974 and has witnessed the ebb and flow of life—and the changing landscape of health care—over five decades.

“Nowadays, natural childbirths are fewer than cesarean sections,” she observed, noting a shift in obstetric practices.

More recently, she has seen a surge in patients affected by the country’s insecurity. Many of her clients have been displaced by war, and she has also seen women struggle with the economic fallout of the conflict.

“Some women come without money. We pay out of our pockets to help them with childbirth costs,” Fatma said. Her hope is that the hospital can receive more support for supplies and resources to help women access necessary tests and treatment.

The care Fatma provides has made an enormous difference.

“I am happy about the services provided here and the care from the midwives,” said Faj, a 25-year-old mother of five from Tawila.

All of her children have been born at Kosti Maternity Hospital, which safely managed each of her deliveries—including one involving serious complications. “My biggest problem was the bleeding, but thanks to the medical care at the hospital, they helped me,” she said.

A gift of $400 can equip a midwife and maternity ward with the medicines and supplies they need to support 50 women through safe deliveries—even in the most challenging humanitarian settings.

Faj has been assisted through all of her five deliveries at Kosti Maternity Hospital. ©UNFPA Sudan

As Sudan’s war—now in its third year—grinds on, the challenges facing the health system are immense. Increased demand due to the influx of families fleeing conflict, persistent electricity outages during critical surgeries like cesarean sections, and severe shortages of equipment and supplies threaten to unravel an already fragile system.

UNFPA has stepped in to support the hospital with essential medical equipment, including an anesthesia machine, incubators, oxygen concentrators, and an ultrasound unit. These supplies have strengthened the hospital’s capacity to provide lifesaving maternal and newborn care, reduce delays in emergency surgeries, and save the lives of babies born prematurely.

UNFPA’s installation of a solar power system has also provided a much-needed alternative energy source, helping keep essential services running during frequent blackouts. Still, the hospital relies on fuel-powered generators to bridge the gap—underscoring the urgent need for long-term investment in stronger infrastructure and reliable power.

With a contribution of $150, you can help provide supplies, medications, and equipment to clinics like Kosti Maternity Hospital so health workers can safely manage obstetric emergencies.

Solar power has helped provide critical electricity during too-frequent power outages. ©UNFPA Sudan

The consequences of Sudan’s war have been devastating. Tens of thousands of people are reportedly dead. Hundreds of thousands face famine. Nearly 7.5 million people who have fled their homes since April 2023 remain displaced.

The country’s infrastructure—including its health system—has been decimated. Hospitals and clinics are overwhelmed by the sheer number of families fleeing violence, and many facilities are struggling to function amid shortages of power, personnel, and essential medical supplies.

Between January and August 2025, UNFPA and its partners reached more than 586,000 people in Sudan with essential services, including maternal and emergency obstetric care. But the scale of need far outpaces available resources.

Every dollar makes a direct impact on the health and safety of women and newborns in Sudan. For $50, you can provide 10 Emergency Birth Kits to women like Faj—simple, lifesaving tools that can allow a safe delivery even when access to a hospital is impossible.