Hospitals in Gaza are facing severe shortages of incubators, oxygen and specialist equipment as rising numbers of premature and underweight newborns place additional pressure on neonatal care services.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, medical staff have reported having to place two or more premature babies in a single incubator because of limited capacity. Hospital officials said many newborns require oxygen and specialist treatment, while transfers to other facilities are difficult because hospitals are already operating at capacity.

The prolonged conflict has severely damaged Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, leaving medical facilities with limited supplies, equipment and resources. UN assessments have also highlighted growing risks to maternal and newborn health, including premature births, low birth weight and other complications.

“The situation is dire: there is no oxygen available for them, nor is there any spare incubators in the hospital,” said Hatem Dhahir, head of the neonatal department at Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis.

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UNICEF has increased efforts to support neonatal services by supplying essential equipment, including incubators, ventilators and patient monitors. The agency has provided 93 incubators to six facilities across Gaza, including equipment delivered through efforts that began before the ceasefire.

Despite these interventions, healthcare workers continue to face major challenges in maintaining neonatal services. Medical teams are relying heavily on limited resources and staff resilience to provide care for vulnerable newborns amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis

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