First Cries in a Siege: A Mother's Reality in Gaza
In Gaza, babies are being born into destruction and their mothers are doing everything they can with nothing. This is not just a crisis. It's a heartbreak that repeats every day.
"The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like one body. If one limb aches, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever."
- Bukhari
We must respond.
A Mother's First Moments Shouldn't Look Like This
There is no nursery.
No hospital bag.
No clean bassinet.
Only a mother, exhausted, anxious, and holding her newborn to her chest as the sound of drones echo outside.
For the women of Gaza, childbirth is not a moment of celebration. It is a fight for survival.
The Reality of Childbirth in Gaza:
Repeated displacement - families sleeping in tents, classrooms, or streets
Giving birth without pain relief
Alone or with no privacy
Unsanitary conditions
Discharged hours later after c-section
The psychological weight is unbearable. For first-time mothers, it is a new depth of fear.
No Access. No Income. No Options.
Markets have collapsed. What little is left is unaffordable. Baby clothes, nappies, and hygiene items are either unavailable or priced out of reach. Formula is nowhere to be found.
Desperate Measures:
Some mothers use hand-me-downs from strangers
Others improvise nappies with plastic bags or cloth scraps
They ration what little they have
Sometimes forced to choose between food for themselves or warmth for their baby
Malnutrition is soaring. Mothers are underweight and unable to sustain breastfeeding. Babies are being born smaller, weaker, and more vulnerable to infection. According to the UN, an estimated 130 babies are born every day in Gaza, and over 50,000 pregnant women are navigating this crisis.
The Emotional Weight of Motherhood in Gaza
A mother's mental health matters. But in Gaza, it is a silent casualty.
The Silent Struggles:
The grief of losing her home
The fear of another airstrike
The shame of not having clean clothes or even nappies
The worry that she cannot give her child the life they deserve
These aren't passing moments. They leave marks on the body and soul. And through it all, mothers are doing everything in their power to protect their newborns, sometimes with nothing more than their bare hands and dua.
A Mercy During Crisis
Through the Mother & Baby Kit appeal, Al-Ihsan Foundation is working with trusted partners in Gaza to deliver urgently needed hygiene items to mothers giving birth in this catastrophe.
Each $150 kit contains:
Newborn-sized nappies (2–5kg)
Soft baby clothing
Lightweight baby blanket
Postpartum sanitary pads
pH-balanced baby wipes
Two ISO-certified antibacterial hand gels
Delivered directly to Dr. Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi Hospital, one of the few functioning pediatric hospitals in Gaza.
Our Ummah, Our Responsibility
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like one body. If one limb aches, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever."
- Bukhari
We must respond.
These mothers are our sisters. Their babies are our babies. Their tears are our tears.
Let us be the hand that reaches them, with purpose.
Sponsor a $150 Mother & Baby Kit today
Ease a mother's hardship with clean clothing, hygiene, and care
Let your sadaqah be a mercy in her time of greatest need.
