Help Pregnant Moms Give Birth Safely in Disasters

On December 30^th, UNFPA became the first UN agency to reach a besieged area of Aleppo. Approximately 65,000 people have been living in Sheikh Maqsoud without access to outside health care. Of these, the majority are women, children, and elderly persons, including 3,000 pregnant women. With humanitarian agencies unable to provide aid during the long siege, many of the women in Sheikh Maqsoud had been without health care for years.

  A single health facility had been operating in Sheikh Maqsoud, with the ability to serve just 50 people a day. UNFPA found the facility overburdened and lacking essential supplies. Reproductive health services were particularly strained. The facility was unable to perform Caesarean sections, leaving many women to carry out unsafe births. And without an ambulance, the facility had no way to transfer patients to outside hospitals.

UNFPA’s clean delivery kits contain basic items necessary for a safe birth, including sterile gloves, a blanket, a plastic sheet, and soap. For only $11 you can help UNFPA provide 3 emergency clean delivery kits to women without access to maternal health services. 

 As soon as UNFPA reached the area, they deployed two mobile reproductive health teams. On the first day of their arrival, UNFPA was able to serve more than 80 women. The teams provided antenatal and postpartum care, as well as offering family planning services and other essential care.  

 UNFPA responders also spoke to families about how the conditions of the siege had impacted the lives of women and girls beyond their access to reproductive health care. With a shortage of school supplies and unreliable electricity provided by generators, children faced steep obstacles to their education. In spite of this, one father swore to UNFPA, “I’ll make sure that my daughter will finish her education.” 

 Going forward, UNFPA plans to open three reproductive health centers. These centers will offer services for women ranging from reproductive health care to support for those affected by gender-based violence. In addition, UNFPA has partnered with Syrian Arab Red Crescent to distribute 1,200 dignity kits. With your help, UNFPA can continue to distribute dignity kits, and make sure women and girls are receiving essentials like soap, sanitary napkins, and underwear.  

 A donation of only $25 can provide one woman in a humanitarian crisis such as the Syrian conflict with a dignity kit that provides flashlights and hygiene essentials, ensuring that she is able to maintain her dignity, health, and security in emergency situations.