The incident comes amid alarming new data from the United Nations reproductive health agency (UNFPA) showing a sharp increase in the risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth in Ukraine, which is approaching its fourth year of conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Our latest analysis shows a sharp deterioration in maternal health in Ukraine,” said Florence Bauer, UNFPA regional director.
Kherson remains one of Ukraine’s most vulnerable cities as it is located on the Dnipro River, directly opposite Russian-controlled territory.
Although Ukrainian forces retook the city in late 2022, it has since come under near-daily bombardment from positions just across the water.
Civilian sites, including hospitals, are frequently hit, leaving health workers with little warning and forcing essential services like maternity wards to operate underground.
Rules of War
“Safe childbirth must be protected even in times of war, and international humanitarian law is clear: health facilities, health workers and humanitarian access must never be targeted,” Ms. Bauer stressed.
Since 2022, more than 80 maternity and maternity wards have been damaged or destroyed, among the 2,763 health care sites affected across the country, according to UNFPA.
All staff and patients who had been hiding in the agency-backed bunker during last week’s harrowing incident remained unharmed and a baby girl was safely delivered during the attack. However, “worrying” trends persist across the country.
Life-threatening complications
Analysis of UNFPA data for 2023 and 2024 indicates that despite a decrease in the number of births, a higher proportion of pregnancies in the country are now affected by serious medical complications.
Uterine ruptures, one of the deadliest emergencies, increased by more than 44 percent, while hypertensive disorders, such as high blood pressure, increased by 12 percent.
C-sections, or surgical deliveries, not only remain high but exceed levels recommended by the World Health Organization, as the organization says such unnecessary procedures can put the lives of women and their babies at risk.
The cesarean section rate in Kherson is currently 46 percent, according to UNFPA; The WHO recommends no more than 15 percent (15 per 100 births).
Birth under bombing
With power outages, shortages of medical supplies and property damage now commonplace, humanitarian aid is often the only lifeline to keeping women and premature newborns alive.
With the support of UNFPA, the maternity ward of the perinatal center in the city of Kherson was rebuilt in a bunker.
UNFPA provides mobile incubators, sterile neonatal equipment and life-saving medicines to help premature babies breathe.
To ensure that women can give birth safely, even under bombardment, UNFPA also supports the construction of underground, bomb-proof maternity wards.
The special underground maternity hospitals of the Kherson City Perinatal Center and the Kharkiv Regional Perinatal Center are the first of their kind in Ukraine.
UNFPA is calling for $52 million to keep maternal health and protection services functioning in the country throughout the coming year.
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