On This Day

Learn about the history of the Palestinian struggle for freedom, equality and justice by exploring major events in the history of their oppression on this day of the year.

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5 July

BirthAtCheckpointsSOLDIERS DELAYING WOMEN IN LABOUR - WITH TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES
On this day in 2011, the UK medical journal, The Lancet, published the results of a study for the period 2000 to 2007 showing that 10% of all pregnant Palestinian women in labour were delayed at Israeli military checkpoints while travelling to give birth in hospital. These delays resulted in 69 births, and 35 infant and five maternal deaths at the checkpoints. The Lancet concluded: “The denial of passage to Palestinian women in labour...is consistent with the criteria for crimes against humanity…”

 

الجنود الاسرائيليين يعيقوا مرور النساء الفلسطينيات الحوامل وفي حالة مخاض- مع عواقب مأساوية

5 يوليو

في مثل هذا اليوم من عام 2011 ، نشرت المجلة الطبية البريطانية "لانسيت" نتائج دراسة للفترة من 2000 إلى 2007 تظهر أن 10٪ من جميع النساء الفلسطينيات الحوامل في حالة مخاض قد تأخرن نتيجة نقاط التفتيش العسكرية الإسرائيلية أثناء رحلتهن لمستشفى الولادة ونتج عن هذا التأخير 69 ولادة ، و 35 حالة وفاة الجنين وخمس  وفيات للأمهات عند نقاط التفتيش هذه. وخلصت مجلة لانسيت: إن منع مرور المرأة الفلسطينية وهي في حالة مخاض ... يتفق مع معايير الجرائم ضد الإنسانية

Findings
Palestinian women’s choice of place for giving birth is determined not only by the availability and affordability of services, like in most countries, but also by their ability to reach hospital maternity services during labour, and military closure and siege. Restriction of movement has resulted in an increase in births at home rather than in a hospital; data indicate that only 8% of all births took place at home in 1999 compared with 33% in 2002. Women have to deal with uncertainty and delays when prevented from getting to a hospital because of checkpoints. Their coping mechanisms in reaction to the fear of being unable to reach hospital on time include acceptance of non-hospital settings for childbirth, with reduced standards of care and increased risks to them and their babies.

Interpretation
The denial of passage to Palestinian women in labour, resulting in increased numbers of childbirths at checkpoints and en route to the hospital, is consistent with the criteria for crimes against humanity in accordance with article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court—ie, “other inhuman acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health”, and meets with the presence of “widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population”.

After driving from one checkpoint to another for three hours to get to the Ramallah hospital, Fatima's labour pains were becoming unbearable. By the time the taxi reached Aljabá checkpoint, cars were lined up for 150 metres. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the driver urged Fatima and her mother to proceed on foot. "Khayta (sister),” he said, “Please walk to pass the checkpoint or you won't make it to the hospital."

Palestinian newborns are dying at checkpoints
Nadia is a Jerusalem ID holder. Farid, however, only holds a green West Bank ID card and is prohibited from owning property or driving a car in the district. ‘The night that my wife went into labour,’ Farid recalls, ‘we made our way to hospital. Because I wasn’t allowed to drive I had to sit beside her. She was in severe pain. I thought she was going to deliver in the car. At the checkpoint, we were made to wait. They wouldn’t allow us to switch so I could drive, although she was clearly in severe pain.’ After the delay, the Israeli military who guard the checkpoint forced Nadia to drive herself to hospital.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 10 per cent of pregnant Palestinian women were forced to endure labour or childbirth at a checkpoint between 2000 and 2007, resulting in the death of at least 35 babies and five women during the seven-year period. This data is at the centre of a new research abstract published this week in the leading medical journal, The Lancet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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