More babies born prematurely due to stress, trauma

GENEVA — The number of premature births has risen by almost a third in Israeli-besieged Gaza over the past month as mothers suffer growing stress and trauma, British charity Oxfam said on Thursday.

Dozens of premature babies made headlines this week when they were rescued from a north Gaza hospital and transferred to Egypt after the site came under Israeli bombardment followed by the army's raid and full occupation of the medical facility. There were initially 39 premature newborns at the hospital, but only 31 survived long enough to be evacuated a week after the bombardment began. Eight had died from the extreme conditions in which the hospital was forced to operate.

The northern part of the densely populated enclave has born the brunt of Israel's six-week-old military campaign against Gaza's ruling Hamas movement and as of this Tuesday, none of its hospitals are functioning normally.

Juzoor, an Oxfam partner organization supporting hundreds of pregnant women in Gaza, said the number of premature births had risen by 25 to 30 percent in the last month, attributing the rise to difficulties faced by mothers who have had to flee their homes due to bombardment and have suffered stress and trauma.

Premature babies are more susceptible to illness and Juzoor said that at least one newborn had died in each of its 13 shelters for displaced people in north Gaza over the past month.

Even before the current conflict, Gaza had a high infant mortality rate, with newborn deaths representing 68% of the total, according to the World Health Organization.

Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam's Middle East Regional Director, said some displaced mothers have had to give birth in crowded classrooms, without medical support or basic hygiene.

"I don't think there is anyone anywhere in the world that would disagree that is simply inhumane," she said.