Help Pregnant Moms Give Birth Safely in Disasters

According to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, there are 159, 017 registered Syrian refugees in Iraq. Specifically, at the Domiz Refugee Camp in Duhok, Iraq, there are 101,625 registered refugees.  Within the camp there are various UN and partner organizations at work to provide relief to refugees through shelter, food security, education, and health services. UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund is among these organizations and is hard at work providing reproductive health services and supplies, such as clean birthing kits to help refugees in need.

When people are displaced for various reasons their access to health care services becomes greatly reduced. They are put at a greater risk for trauma, malnutrition, disease, and violence. Pregnant women are especially at risk in these situations, as they often do not have access to prenatal care, delivery care, emergency medical services, and post-partum care.

For just an $11 donation, UNFPA can produce 3 emergency clean birthing kits that can provide critical help in ensuring the safe delivery and health of three mothers and their babies.

Um Mohammed, a Syrian refugee, gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy in a time of crisis with the help of fast acting healthcare workers and UNFPA’s clean birthing kit. After she had been having contractions for two hours, Um arrived at the reproductive health clinic in the Domiz Camp in Iraq. She was checked by a midwife and it was confirmed that she was already in the second stage of labor. At that point, the clinic workers were scrambling to get her an ambulance to the hospital, however there was simply not enough time, so the doctor and midwife quickly transformed the clinic room into a delivery room. They were able to safely deliver Um’s baby using the clean birthing kit provided by UNFPA. Um is now doing better and is working to help promote the services of the clinic so that more pregnant women in the camp can find the care that they so desperately need.

In this emergency situation, the clean birthing kit was crucial in ensuring that Um had a clean delivery and that her baby was born healthy and safely. The kit consists of a bar of soap, clear plastic sheet, razor blade, umbilical cord tie, as well as cloth and latex gloves. Although it may seem simple, the kit provides lifesaving supplies to doctors and midwives in even the most remote and troubled regions where access to reproductive healthcare can be extremely scarce.

The services and resources that UNFPA provides in these areas, including the clean birthing kits, can make a life or death difference for many women and their babies. With the support of friends like you, UNFPA can help more women have safe births in these regions. For only $25, UNFPA can supply a woman with hygiene essentials for six months, helping her to maintain her dignity in a displaced situation. Please consider making a contribution today. With your help, we can make sure all women are afforded the right to a safe and sanitary delivery, even in times of crisis.

More than 50,000 Syrian refugees recently arrived at temporary shelters in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt in the last three months, resulting in an enormous and unprecedented strain on essential services. Women and children comprise over 80% of the refugee population, making them the most vulnerable in times of crises. Pregnant women are especially at risk, oftentimes stranded in refugee camps without immediate access to reproductive care.

A small donation of $11 or more can ensure women in these areas have clean, healthy and safe deliveries. On Wednesday, March 13^th, you can double your impact! Global Giving is matching donations, with $50,000 available in matching funds – please donate today to help pregnant refugees in need.

Hear a firsthand account from a pregnant Syrian refugee on giving birth to a child in a time of crisis. Samira was seven months pregnant when she and her family fled their home in Syria. The 28-year old mother was not expecting to deliver her fifth baby in a refugee camp in Jordan.

Her labor came suddenly. "There was no time to go to the hospital, and I found myself delivering the baby in our tent," she said. "I was confused and afraid. It was late and there was no time to go to the hospital," the mother explained.

Samira was eventually transported to the Mafraq hospital where doctors told her that while her baby boy, Omar, was healthy, she needed extra care and should stay at the post-partum unit in the camp clinic.

The clinic, which is run by the Jordanian Health Aid Society with support from UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has provided a range of healthcare services, including pre- and postnatal care, family planning and reproductive health education for many of the women residing in the camp. Samira is one of the few fortunate women who have access to health services provided by UNFPA and its local partners.

The influx of refugees has put a strain on existing national health services in Jordan. Increased support from the international community will be necessary for the United Nations and its partners to scale up their response. The provision of UNFPA's clean birthing kit can go a long way to save the life of a pregnant woman and her baby. By providing at least the most basic essentials (a bar of soap, clear plastic sheet, razor blade, an umbilical cord tie, cloth and latex gloves), the kit helps pregnant women who are unable to get to a health facility in a crisis or emergency situation.

While UNFPA does its best to provide reproductive care to women in vulnerable situations, it needs the support of donors like you to keep pace with the precarious humanitarian crisis faced by the Syrian people.  A $25 donation would provide hygiene essentials for six months, restoring dignity in a time of immense hardship. Please consider making an contribution today. Global Giving will match donations up to $50,000 on March13th , increasing the impact of your action! With your help, we can make sure all women are afforded the right to a safe and sanitary delivery, even in times of extreme crisis.