Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip – Early in the morning, Eman Huneidq leaves her tent in western Deir el-Balah with her nine-month-old daughter, Ward, and heads to the Mother and Child Corner at Hikr al-Jame’ Health Centre. She comes twice a week for breastfeeding sessions, seeking advice and support after a difficult journey through pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood during the war. Eman, 38, is a mother of three.
She has diabetes and a condition that causes her blood to clot. Eman did not know she was pregnant until she was five months along. At the time, she was living in northern Gaza before being displaced south to Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, fleeing the conditions Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave has produced.
Poor nutrition and limited access to healthcare made the pregnancy harder. Ward was born before her due date and spent 10 days in hospital. After giving birth, Eman struggled to breastfeed.
She developed painful cracks in her breasts and, for a period, relied on formula milk – which is expensive in Gaza and requires access to clean water. I struggled to cope with my condition and couldn’t find the right support or suitable medical creams,” she says, as Israeli restrictions on imports into Gaza made the lotions hard to obtain. Inside the clinic, Eman is received by Sabreen al-Buhaisi, the centre’s nursing manager and a breastfeeding specialist.
Pregnant women and new mothers receive guidance at the Mother and Child Corner on breastfeeding. According to al-Buhaisi, the centre provides breastfeeding support to about 400 to 500 women every month. Eman says the sessions helped her breastfeed regularly and understand how to care for herself while managing diabetes.
They have also helped her learn more about what food and drink are available in Gaza after nearly three years of war. Her family, like many others, have no income and cannot afford basic foods. Fruit and meat may be available in the market, but the prices are beyond what the family can afford.
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