Nearly 4,000 Miscarriages in Gaza in Six Months
Health system in total collapse, malnutrition and psychological stress lead to dramatic rise in pregnancy loss among women in Gaza.
Health system in total collapse, malnutrition and psychological stress lead to dramatic rise in pregnancy loss among women in Gaza.
Shocking data from the United Nations and the human rights organization Euro-Med Monitor reveal the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza: nearly 4,000 women lost their pregnancies in the first six months of 2026. This number, which only records cases documented in hospitals, has tripled compared to the second half of 2025, with the main causes cited as the destruction of the health system, forced displacement, and extreme living conditions.
According to data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), nearly 4,000 spontaneous miscarriages were recorded between January and June. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its July report cites 3,950 miscarriages for the same period, a drastic jump compared to 1,197 cases recorded from July to December 2025. The UN estimates that the miscarriage rate in the enclave is 208.5 per 1,000 live births, meaning roughly one in six pregnancies ends in fetal loss.
The miscarriage rate peaked in April, when more than a quarter of all pregnancies in Gaza ended in spontaneous miscarriage. At the same time, the birth rate fell by 3.2 percent since the beginning of the year, and nearly half of all births were by cesarean section, mainly due to maternal bleeding, hypertension, and infections. About 74 percent of pregnancy losses occurred in the first trimester, while 57 percent of pregnant women suffered from anemia.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, head of pediatrics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, describes the situation as alarming. "The percentage has increased nearly threefold compared to the pre-war period," he told Quds News Network. He warns that miscarriages are only part of the crisis: doctors are also recording more cases of stillbirths, premature births, and dangerous pregnancy complications.
"We have reached a point where each person has three liters of water a day, far below the minimum. Ninety percent of the water is not drinkable. Lack of water leads to infections, weakens the immune system, and worsens malnutrition," said Dr. Al-Farra.
Doctors emphasize that the type of food entering Gaza since the ceasefire began in October 2025 also contributes to the rise in illnesses. Although food quantities have increased significantly, much of it is processed, with high levels of sugar, palm oil, and soy. "A body accustomed to starvation cannot cope with this," warns Dr. Al-Farra. Additionally, he highlights the impact of the psychological burden after years of war: "Stress in the mother can lead to changes in neurological development, anxiety, and cardiovascular diseases. Environmental toxins can cause reproductive and metabolic disorders."
Euro-Med Monitor in its statement notes that hundreds of thousands of women continue to live in tents after the Israeli military destroyed 90 percent of homes and infrastructure. Pregnant women were exposed to "relentless bombing, explosions, smoke, and the psychological shock of war," leading to increased risks of premature birth, birth complications, and lack of newborn care.
Last month, the UN's famine experts (IPC) released a report stating that food security has slightly improved, but the situation remains fragile. About 1.4 million people in Gaza are in a phase of acute food insecurity, a slight decrease from 1.6 million at the end of 2025. According to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 450 people have died from malnutrition during the conflict.
UNFPA has announced that in about two months it will publish a detailed analysis of the conditions faced by pregnant women in Gaza, to better understand the reasons for the dramatic rise in miscarriages.
