United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that 55,000 women in Gaza are forced to confront the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth amid extremely dire and catastrophic conditions.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Dujarric added that many families in Gaza are unable to evacuate due to health and security concerns, as well as the prohibitive costs of transportation.

He emphasized that evacuation orders do not absolve the warring parties of their responsibility to protect civilians.

Since October 7, 2023, the Zionist enemy has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, involving killings, starvation, destruction, and displacement, disregarding international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the actions.

This genocide has resulted in over 226,000 martyrs and wounded—mostly children and women—more than 9,000 missing persons, hundreds of thousands displaced, widespread famine that has claimed many lives including children, and extensive destruction.