King Salman Center inaugurates the maternity ward at Al-Awda Hospital in Gaza
In a significant humanitarian step responding to the critical health situation in the Gaza Strip, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center today the obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza, as part of a strategic partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This project will revitalize this vital medical facility after the completion of comprehensive restoration and rehabilitation work, following the extensive damage it sustained and which rendered it inoperable for an extended period due to the ongoing crisis.
An integrated project to support reproductive health in Gaza
This opening 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 support is not limited to Al-Awda Hospital alone; the project also targets the renovation and support of obstetrics and gynecology departments in three key hospitals that form the backbone of medical services in the region:
- Patient-Friendly Hospital.
- Al-Khair Hospital.
- Al-Awda Hospital.
The project focuses primarily on improving the quality of reproductive health services and ensuring that pregnant and breastfeeding women have access to safe and dignified healthcare, at a time when hospitals are under enormous pressure and lack resources.
Humanitarian context and challenges of the health sector
This inauguration comes at a time when the health sector in Gaza is facing unprecedented challenges. Recent events have severely damaged medical infrastructure, endangering the lives of thousands of patients, particularly the most vulnerable groups such as women and children. Rehabilitating maternity wards is of paramount importance, given the urgent need to provide a sterile and safe environment for childbirth, thereby reducing maternal and neonatal deaths that can result from inadequate medical care or delivery in unsanitary conditions.
Al-Awda Hospital is a major artery for providing health services in the central and northern Gaza Strip, and its return to efficient operation represents a turning point in easing the burden on the dilapidated health system.
International partnership and a leading Saudi role
For his part, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund in the Gaza Strip expressed his deep gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, for this generous support. He emphasized that this medical intervention is not limited to repairing walls, but directly contributes to saving lives and restoring vital departments that had been shut down, which will have a tangible positive impact on maternal and newborn health indicators.
On the popular level, the women benefiting from the clinic’s services appreciated this step, expressing their satisfaction with the return of women’s and maternity services, which provides them with a safe haven for health care and reduces the risks they faced during the hospital’s closure.
Saudi relief airlift continues
This project reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's longstanding and unwavering commitment to supporting the brotherly Palestinian people in various crises. Saudi efforts continue through air and sea bridges and grassroots campaigns to provide food, medical, and shelter aid, striving to alleviate human suffering and provide essential services under the exceptional circumstances in the Gaza Strip.
