“I could feel the baby kicking and reacting fearfully to the sound of bombings,” Nour told UNFPA.

For many women like Nour, who is pregnant and displaced, the ceasefire in Gaza represents hope. But winter is approaching and they still lack food, water, and care. There is no time to lose.

UNFPA is scaling up its response in Gaza to sustain and restore lifesaving services for displaced women and girls, including maternal healthcare. With Giving Tuesday just two weeks away, will you make a tax-deductible donation to ensure women and girls can access the care they depend on to survive? All gifts will be matched — dollar for dollar up to $350,000 — giving you the opportunity to deliver double the relief wherever it’s needed most.

Nour has not been able to access prenatal care, and she grows more anxious about her and her baby’s health every day. Despite the overwhelming difficulties, her hope for her child's future remains a powerful driving force. "I pray that when my child comes into this world, it will be better." 

Iman is struggling to keep her newborn alive. "When he was two weeks old, the baby formula ran out, and there was nothing else to feed him. He became malnourished… I was forced to feed him a biscuit, even though I knew it was dangerous."

Iman and her family are some of 450,000 people displaced after fleeing conflict in Gaza city. Her family has been displaced so many times they’ve lost count. She recently gave birth and managed against the odds to get to a hospital. But to get her baby home, she had to walk back to her family’s tent on foot, while still recovering from birth.

Weeks later, her newborn and children still sleep on the family’s only blanket on the ground. There is still no access to clean water, and Iman remains terrified of stray dogs attacking them at night.

Iman’s plea is fueled by exhaustion: “We just want to rest. We don’t want to hear the sounds of bombing and gunfire anymore. We want to return home.”

The ceasefire agreement offers a glimmer of hope, but winter is coming, making the crisis in Gaza even more urgent. Needs will only grow as temperatures drop. Ahead of the holidays, will you be there for women and girls with a charitable donation? Your gift goes twice as far right now. All donations will be matched up to $350,000.

We welcome the ceasefire agreement, the release of all hostages by Hamas, and the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid in Gaza. We are hopeful that peace will prevail and that the suffering of women, girls, and families will end.

Thank you for being there in this urgent moment. 

— USA for UNFPA