King Salman Center inaugurates maternity clinic at Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza
In a significant humanitarian step reflecting the deep fraternal ties and responsibility towards the Palestinian people, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center today the obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza Strip, as part of a strategic partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This opening culminates intensive efforts aimed at restoring and rehabilitating the hospital after the extensive damage inflicted on its infrastructure, which rendered it inoperable for an extended period and deprived thousands of women of essential healthcare.
A comprehensive project to support reproductive health
The rehabilitation of the clinic is part of a broader project aimed at ensuring access to and provision of services and promoting maternal and newborn health among the affected population in the Gaza Strip. The project extends beyond Al-Awda Hospital to include the renovation and support of obstetrics and gynecology departments in three major hospitals: Friends of the Patient Hospital, Al-Khair Hospital, and Al-Awda Hospital. This urgent initiative aims to improve the quality of reproductive health services and ensure that pregnant and lactating women receive safe and dignified healthcare.
The humanitarian context and the importance of medical intervention
This medical intervention comes at a time when the health sector in Gaza is facing unprecedented challenges. The ongoing conflict and blockade have led to the deterioration of medical infrastructure and a severe shortage of equipment and medicines. Maternity wards are among the most severely affected and vital departments, as pregnant women face compounded risks due to the lack of specialized care. This underscores the importance of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's initiative, which extends beyond physical reconstruction to include providing a safe medical environment that reduces maternal and infant mortality rates and alleviates the immense pressure on the remaining functioning health facilities in the Gaza Strip.
International partnership and direct impact
For his part, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Gaza Strip expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, for this vital and generous support. He emphasized that the reopening of this essential medical department will have a direct and tangible impact on improving the health indicators of mothers and newborns in the central region of the Gaza Strip. Many women who benefited from the services also expressed their relief at the resumption of these services, noting that this achievement removes the nightmare of anxiety they had been experiencing regarding giving birth in unsafe conditions.
The Kingdom's leading role in humanitarian work
This project reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to supporting just humanitarian causes and standing with the Palestinian people in their plight. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, as the Kingdom’s humanitarian arm, continues to provide relief, medical, and development assistance in various countries around the world, with a particular focus on areas affected by conflict and disasters. This initiative underscores that Saudi support for Gaza is not merely emergency aid, but rather a structured, institutional effort aimed at rebuilding lives and strengthening the resilience of the Palestinian people on their land.
