Gaza Faces Unprecedented Surge in Miscarriages Amid Healthcare Collapse

Bassam Zaqout, Director of Gaza Medical Relief, characterized the 3,958 recorded miscarriages as an unprecedented health crisis. Data from the Gaza Health Ministry illustrates the scale of the collapse, documenting 921 miscarriages in April alone against 2,004 live births. This ratio of 460 miscarriages per 1,000 live births significantly exceeds regional averages. The decline in live births is equally stark, falling from 5,210 in January to 1,701 by May 2026.

The Drivers of Reproductive Crisis

Human rights organizations point to the deliberate targeting of maternity wards and fertility clinics as a primary cause. The inability to maintain sanitary conditions in displacement camps, combined with severe shortages of water, hygiene supplies, and electricity, has created a lethal environment for both mothers and newborns. Furthermore, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that congenital anomalies doubled between 2022 and 2025, a trend experts link to contaminated water and widespread famine conditions. Beyond the immediate trauma of airstrikes, the collapse of obstetric services forces many women to undergo labor in hazardous, non-medical settings. According to the United Nations, the destruction of reproductive healthcare facilities has drawn accusations of genocidal acts under Article II of the Genocide Convention, which prohibits measures intended to prevent births within a targeted group.