Artıcles

PAYING $15 FOR SANITARY PADS, CUTTING THEIR OWN UMBILICAL CORD UNDER GUNFIRE: MdM NETWORK REPORTS ON UNBEARABLE DAILY REALITY FOR WOMEN & GIRLS IN GAZA

Artıcles 08.10.2025

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PAYING $15 FOR SANITARY PADS, CUTTING THEIR OWN UMBILICAL CORD UNDER GUNFIRE: MdM NETWORK REPORTS ON UNBEARABLE DAILY REALITY FOR WOMEN & GIRLS IN GAZA

Istanbul, 8 October 2025.

After two years of war in Gaza, Médecins du Monde (MdM) International Network today publishes a devastating field study highlighting the systematic obstacles imposed by the Israeli government on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in Gaza.

These attacks compromise their physical and mental integrity, dignity, privacy, and the future of an entire people. They constitute elements of genocide.[1] It is imperative that Third States intervene to establish an immediate ceasefire and end these crimes against humanity and war crimes.[2]

Between May 2024 and August 2025, Médecins du Monde documented ongoing attacks on health centers and a dramatic shortage of essential staff and medical supplies in Gaza. In this context, access to prenatal care, emergency obstetric services, family planning, and protection against sexual and gender-based violence is severely obstructed.

Of 22,747 sexual and reproductive health consultations conducted at MdM International Network health centers in Gaza, 36% were for genital infections linked to lack of water and hygiene, and the high cost of menstrual products (at least $15 for a basic pack of pads). Some women reported having to use scraps of old cloth as protection.
84 % of women affected by infections had been displaced at least once since the start of the war
85 % of pregnant women are at risk of complications, and our teams report increasing malnutrition, making them the primary victims of this intentional famine, which may spread to the south of the enclave if nothing changes (malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women screened rose from 31.3% in July 2025 to 35% in August 2025).

Another alarming figure: according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, miscarriages have quadrupled. These are direct consequences of the conflict, lack of access to contraception and abortion, and absence of pregnancy follow-up.

Overall, our teams observed an increase in curative consultations and a decrease in preventive consultations, such as prenatal check-ups. This trend was most pronounced in areas most affected by attacks, particularly in the north of the enclave.
During the truce from January to March 2025, infections dropped by 50% and prenatal consultations increased — clear evidence that these suffering are entirely caused by the blockade and the war.

PREGNANCY DOESN’T STOP DURING WAR. SOME WOMEN LOSE THEIR BABIES DUE TO THE TRAUMA OF MASSACRES. OTHERS GIVE BIRTH IN OVERCROWDED SHELTERS, WITHOUT ANESTHESIA OR MEDICATION, SOMETIMES FORCED TO CUT THEIR OWN UMBILICAL CORD UNDER FIRE. MANY MOTHERS TELL US THEY DO NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FEED THEIR NEWBORNS.

DR. ISRAA SALEH

GAZA-BASED DOCTOR AND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADVISOR, MÉDECINS DU MONDE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

These dramatic situations, entirely human-made, endanger the lives and dignity of women and girls. They also compromise the future of generations to come, and thus the survival of the Palestinian people.

IN GAZA, EVERY DAY, IT IS NOT ONLY LIVES AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE DESTROYED. BY TARGETING THE HEALTH OF WOMEN AND GIRLS, ISRAELI AUTHORITIES ARE DESTROYING THE FUTURE OF AN ENTIRE PEOPLE. AFTER TWO YEARS OF TOTAL WAR, MÉDECINS DU MONDE REITERATES ITS CALL TO THIRD STATES TO PRESSURE ISRAELI AUTHORITIES TO IMPLEMENT A CEASEFIRE AND LIFT ALL BARRIERS TO HUMANITARIAN AID. RESPECT FOR COMMITMENTS UNDER THE 1948 CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE DEMANDS IT. IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED TO STOP THESE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND WAR CRIMES BEFORE THERE IS NO GAZA POPULATION LEFT TO PROTECT.

DR. JEAN-FRANÇOIS CORTY

PRESIDENT, MÉDECINS DU MONDE FRANCE

MdM INTERNATIONAL NETWORK IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Médecins du Monde International Network has been active across the Occupied Palestinian Territory for more than 20 years, with a team of 120 in Gaza and 78 in the West Bank.
In Gaza, our teams provide primary healthcare through several health centers, including general medicine, mental health and psychosocial support, sexual and reproductive health services, vaccination, and nutritional support.
In the West Bank, Médecins du Monde International Network operates from Ramallah to Jenin, helping rehabilitate local clinics, providing medicines and medical supplies, and deploying a mobile health unit to meet increased needs, particularly in mental health, while strengthening emergency preparedness among local health actors.