France and the UN join hands to strengthen maternal and neonatal health services in the Gaza Strip

In the framework of France's efforts to support the civilian population in Gaza and more particularly women and children, who are the first victims of this conflict, the French Development Agency (AFD) is increasing its support to health services in Gaza through a project developed jointly by UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. The project will focus on ensuring quality of care throughout the preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, especially in the Gaza Strip. It will enable the reconstitution of medical stocks in Gaza, support the strengthening of maternal and child health services in Gaza and help meet the specific needs of women and girls in terms of access to health services. At least 145 000 people will benefit from this program.

EAST JERUSALEM, 16 April 2024 - France, through the French Development Agency (AFD), UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO will continue supporting the health system in the State of Palestine, with a particular focus on addressing the acute crisis in the Gaza Strip caused by the ongoing hostilities. The agreement, signed today in the Prime Minister Office in Ramallah by the General Consul of France in Jerusalem, M. Nicolas Kassianides, AFD Country Director, Mrs. Véronique Sauvat, and the UNICEF Special Representative to the State of Palestine, Ms. Jean Gough, increases the support already received from France, through AFD, of € 9 million, for a total of € 19,9 million.

This is a concrete translation of the 100 million euros support that was announced by France during the Paris humanitarian conference on 9 November 2023, convened by the French President. The delivery of health services, in particular to women and children who are the first victims of the conflict, is at the core of this effort. Indeed, the ongoing escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip continues to have severe health consequences, especially for women and children. Access to healthcare remains disrupted, leading to malnutrition among children. Women face challenges in accessing maternal health services and limited access to food, medicines, water and sanitation services amplify health risks.

A continuation of an existing initiative

This programme is a continuation of an existing initiative, supported by AFD, which focused on restoring and strengthening sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, children and adolescents' health (SRMNCH) services, while also strengthening emergency response mechanisms, providing maternity equipment and replenishing stocks of medicines and supplies vital to the operation of health centers, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, the programme focuses on further supporting and strengthening health centers and reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and infant (RMNI) services by supporting healthcare staff including midwives. The programme aims at reducing gender inequalities in health care provision and addressing specific needs of women and girls in accessing services, particularly in crisis and post-crisis contexts. While most activities will support children in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank will also be included in the programme to address the consequences of the crisis in the Gaza Strip.

This collaboration aims at improving access to health services for the population reaching more than 145,000 people both in the context of the crisis and in the long-term striving to deliver on transformative changes for the benefit of the most vulnerable groups and particularly now where the population faces unprecedented and unparalleled challenges.

In the framework of the previous phase of this project, 504,700 women (108,500) and children (396,200) in the Gaza Strip were provided with improved access to gender sensitive SRMNCH services, through the renovation of six hospitals and primary centers in Khan Younes and health training of around 7.000 persons. In the framework of the conflict, the emergency component of the project was used to provide medical supplies to treat 1,600 trauma patients, postpartum kits for around 600 women, hygiene kits to 1,000 pregnant women, 26 incubators and 30 oxygen pumps.