March 21st was Mother’s Day in Palestine.
Sadly, many mothers in Gaza could not celebrate this year. More than 15,000 children have been killed due to Israel’s ongoing genocide (Al Jazeera). At least 17,000 children have been orphaned or separated from their parents (UNICEF). In fact, medics have coined a new acronym, unique to the Gaza Strip: WCNSF – wounded child, no surviving family (Middle East Monitor).
There are an estimated 50,000 pregnant people in Gaza, with 180 giving birth each day in the most difficult circumstances (UNFPA). C-sections have been performed without anesthesia and postpartum care supplies such as menstrual pads and painkillers are not readily available.
As Israel’s brutal siege continues to ensure critical humanitarian aid cannot freely enter Gaza, safe food and clean drinking water are increasingly difficult to find. There have been reports of mothers too dehydrated to produce breastmilk. Infants and children have died of starvation while the world looks on.
For 7 months, Gazan families have been forcibly displaced and told to flee to “safe zones” in the South. Now, one of those supposed “safe” places, Rafah, is under heavy bombardment. An estimated 600,000 children are sheltering there, so these ongoing attacks will mean massacres of children.
As we approach Mother’s Day in Canada - May 12 - Please join mothers around the world calling for an end to this horrific genocide. Speak up, your voice matters!
سلام
[Peace]
Take Action Now:
Free printable colouring pages and full colour posters!
Fax them to your elected reps or print them for wheatpasting around town, carrying at a protest, or to post at your school or workplace.
