Even with the best of care, pregnancy, delivery, and the motherhood journey can be extremely frightening. As a Black mother, I worried about everything from maternal mortality rates to the pain of delivery to how successful I’d be at breastfeeding. And while it’s true that people have given birth in all kinds of ways before the existence of modern medicine, it’s also true that no one should bring life into this world under a cloak of horror and without proper care. This is the reality for so many Palestinian mothers, but people are determined to step in. Organizations like the Safe Birth In Palestine Project have been doing their best to provide support and assistance in Gaza, helping expecting and postpartum folks in spite of the difficulties. Medical kit deliveries have been blocked at the border, but some Project members have been able to travel to the Gaza strip with prenatal vitamins and medical supplies. “We were naive. We were honestly hoping that there would be a safe corridor, safe zone for medical facilities, Safe Birth co-founder Ferhan Güloğlu said to the Guardian. “It’s one of the worst crises, if not the worst, on women and children. In Afghanistan, hospitals were a safe space, but here it’s not.” The Safe Birth team is committed and plans to support the rebuilding of the region’s medical system, with particular focus on psychological care for mothers and their children.
