13,500 pregnant women in Lebanon struggle to find safe care as hospitals come under fire

13,500 pregnant women in Lebanon struggle to find safe care as hospitals come under fire

NEW YORK CITY: The United Nations Population Fund, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, has warned that women and girls in Lebanon are facing a worsening humanitarian emergency as Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities continue despite a ceasefire agreement.

It came a day after an Israeli airstrike on Monday severely damaged a hospital in the southern city of Tyre and left dozens of people injured.

Anandita Philipose, the agency’s representative in Lebanon, on Tuesday described a time of “deep fear, uncertainty and escalation” across the country.

“Despite the ceasefire that’s in place, the hostilities have not stopped,” she said. “People across Lebanon, particularly women and girls, are facing appalling levels of violence, displacement and human loss.”