A free childbirth program ends in eastern Congo at the worst of times

GOMA, Congo: In a maternity ward in eastern Congo, Irene Nabudeba rested her hands on her bulging midsection, worried about giving birth in a city under rebel control. The conflict that flared this year has left many medical supplies stranded beyond the front line. Infrastructure like running water has collapsed, along with the economy in Goma, the region’s humanitarian and commercial hub. And now the one glimmer of hope for mothers — a free maternity care program offered by Congo’s government — has ended after it was not renewed in June.

Raccontata daarabnews.com