Cairo, 23 July 2025 – UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, is sounding the alarm on a profound humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, where severe food deprivation, a shattered healthcare system, and immense psychological stress are leading to catastrophic birth outcomes for pregnant women and newborns, threatening the survival of an entire generation.

New data for the first six months of 2025, from the Ministry of Health, Gaza, paints a harrowing picture of the impacts of the dire conditions across the Strip on new life.  

From January to June 2025:

• Births sharply declined: In the first half of 2025, 17,000 births were recorded, marking a significant decrease from the 29,000 births reported during the corresponding period in 2022. This represents a decline of over 41 per cent in the birth rate within just three years.*
• Maternal deaths: 220 mothers died–more than 20 times the total number of maternal deaths recorded in 2022. 
• Newborn deaths: At least 20 newborns died within 24 hours of birth.
• Newborns at risk: 33 per cent of babies–5,560–were born prematurely, underweight or required admission to neonatal intensive care.  

The statistics underscore the profound challenges faced by mothers and newborns in an environment where health care is being systematically targeted, with starvation and the deprivation of basic necessities driving these outcomes.

“The scale of suffering for new mothers and their babies in Gaza is beyond comprehension,” said Laila Baker, Regional Director for the Arab States at UNFPA. “Every mother and child deserves the right to a safe birth and a healthy start to life