“Every minute felt endless”: Pregnant women displaced in Lebanon carry life through crisis

SOUTHERN GOVERNORATES, Lebanon - At seven months pregnant, 26-year-old Rima* fled her home in southern Lebanon amid intense bombing. "We left suddenly, with only the clothes we were wearing," she said. "There was no time to think. We were terrified."

Despite a declared ceasefire, hostilities and widespread displacement are ongoing in Lebanon. Critical infrastructure and key transport routes have been destroyed, isolating pregnant women and other vulnerable populations and impeding humanitarian access.

Thousands of civilians have been killed or injured, and over 1 million people - around one fifth of the population - are internally displaced. Most are sheltering in informal camps without access to healthcare or protection from gender-based violence.

Rima's journey took more than 16 hours by car. "I was sitting for so long that my body ached. I was afraid I might give birth on the road without any medical help," she told UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, which is the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency.

"Every minute felt endless. I kept touching my belly, praying my baby would stay safe."

An assault on healthcare

Rima currently shares a small home with 13 other people in the city of Saida. "I used to see my doctor regularly, but now I can't," she said. "I had to find another doctor here, and I don't have any baby supplies - no clothes, no crib, nothing."

She is being referred for antenatal support by UNFPA, which estimates there are some 325,000 displaced women of childbearing age, of whom some 13,500 are pregnant. Of these, 1,500 are expected to give birth within the next month and urgently need life-saving sexual and reproductive health support.

"I kept touching my belly, praying my baby would stay safe" - Rima

Since 2 March, some 149 attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon have been recorded. Four hospitals remain fully closed and those still operating are at full capacity, limiting their ability to admit high-risk pregnancies. As many of the now-shuttered facilities previously also offered gender-based violence response services, thousands of women and girls have lost access to both health and protection support.

Women and newborns face multiple risks

When the first strike hit the suburb of Dahieh in Beirut, Laya*, 27, carried her two children through the chaos. "It was 3 AM when we heard the explosion," she said. "We left immediately, walking in the dark until we reached near Al Zahraa Hospital. We waited there for hours before finding transportation to Al Ain in the Bekaa [Valley]."

Pregnant and exhausted, Laya described her terror of going into labour on the road. "The distance was long, and I could feel my body weakening. I kept thinking, 'what if something happens to the baby?'"

In addition to stresses of displacement, overcrowded shelters are also exposing pregnant women to risks. Few shelters have appropriate bedding, sanitary facilities or private breastfeeding spaces, leading women to fear the spread of infections.

"I kept thinking, 'what if something happens to the baby?'" - Laya

Some women are refusing referrals to public hospitals due to concerns over equipment shortages, staffing levels and infection control. Many fear what could happen if they experience pregnancy complications.

"I feel unstable and anxious," Laya told UNFPA, which is referring her for antenatal care. "I don't know when the war will end or when we can go home. I'm afraid of complications during childbirth, especially being away from my doctor.

"I want safety and to return home with my children."

Hope amid hardship

These sentiments were echoed again and again by the women UNFPA spoke to.

Dana*, 19, is from Rashaf, close to the border with Israel. At four months pregnant, she fled to her family's home in the Bekaa Valley. "We had no food and the shops were closed," she said. "I needed to use the bathroom but couldn't. I sat in the car for hours, and the pain in my lower abdomen became unbearable. I was so afraid for my baby."

Her family now faces an uncertain future. "Our home was destroyed, and we have nowhere to go," she said. "People in the area have given me baby clothes since I had nothing prepared for my delivery."

Her only wish is for safety. "I just hope my delivery goes smoothly, and that my baby and I will be safe. Nothing else matters."

Sara*, 20, left Beirut with her husband and children when the war began. "I was six months pregnant and worried that the long journey would harm my baby," she told UNFPA.

She recently visited a UNFPA-supported mobile clinic in Al Ain, where she received health services and prenatal care. "The staff were kind and supportive," said Sara. "It helped me feel a little more secure, but the fear doesn't go away. I want my baby to be born into peace."

UNFPA response

Since the beginning of March, UNFPA has reached more than 80,000 displaced people with sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence response services. These have been provided across 200 collective shelters and host communities, through health facilities, mobile teams and women and girls' safe spaces.

"I want my baby to be born into peace" - Sara

UNFPA's response is being supported by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the European Union, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the UN Emergency Fund. UNFPA is appealing for US $12 million to address the urgent needs of 225,000 people through March to May 2026, but so far only a fraction of this has been raised.

*Names changed for privacy and protection