Aliya‘s story – based on a real testimony*
The name has been changed for security reasons.
In 2024, Aliya became pregnant amid intense violence.
“I wore it for nine months”she said calmly, pointing to her stomach, “ when we left the south to return to our neighborhood in the north of Gaza. »
For 15 hours she walked. She walked past houses whose walls had been torn away by airstrikes and where decomposing bodies lay in the rubble. There was no transportation, no food, no water. She whispered to herself: “My God, I won’t make it. » Then again: “Aliya, you did not survive the bombs to die of hunger and thirst. You didn’t survive to die walking. »
In the days that followed, Aliya’s labor began, and her son was born by cesarean section in April 2025. But Basel was only hours old when he was sent home — Aliya’s bed was highly coveted in a Gaza hospital clogged with patients. “So, here I am, carrying him again, but this time in my arms. I carried him out of the hospital while the war raged and gunfire passed overhead. »
Raising Basel in these conditions seemed impossible. Their tent was flooded; there were several inches of water on the ground. Basel’s first clothes were pieces of fabric that Aliya had tied together. During the famine in the north, Basel lost so much weight that Aliya feared for her life. Within months, Aliya’s life with Basel was reduced to a tent surrounded by sewage, garbage and insects she had never seen before. Basel was the first child, she said, who she felt had failed her – not for lack of love, but because of the extreme conditions imposed by the war.
However, the visit to a Mother-Baby Friendly Space of Action Against Hunger changed something in Aliya. All it took was a visit to a recently opened space in Gaza City for her to understand its importance. “When I come here, I feel safe,” Aliya says. “I feel like there is someone who cares about us and gives us their attention and time. » Now, when Aliya returns home after these sessions, she feels able to play with her son. “These sessions give me the strength to continue. »
Aliya’s wish is simple: “I want my children to be safe. I want a clean tent. Clothes for my baby. A place where my children won’t get sick because of the environment they live in. I want my son to grow up and experience a better life than this – a life without violence, without constant struggle for survival, without hunger. »
Why Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces are essential
Table of Contents
In crisis contexts like Gaza, infants and young children are at greatest risk of disease, malnutrition and developmental delays. At the same time, their caregivers experience extreme stress, trauma, interruptions to breastfeeding, and limited or hindered access to health services – conditions that directly affect the survival and development of newborns. Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces are designed to interrupt this cycle by providing safe and predictable environments where mothers and their babies can receive specialist support.
“Women’s needs are numerous,” explains one of Action Against Hunger’s nutrition advisors in Gaza. “We try as much as possible to provide what is necessary – hygiene kits, psychosocial support sessions, child-friendly spaces. Many mothers are experiencing extremely difficult circumstances which we are trying to alleviate by ensuring the continuity of these services, particularly in the north where resources are limited. »
Improving infant feeding practices and nutrition
Individual advice helps mothers breastfeed successfully in extreme conditions. In Gaza, caregivers have very limited access to health care; they are often cut off from social networks, have little access to information and find neither privacy nor advice on breastfeeding in overcrowded collective shelters. Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces provide a dedicated place and time to learn – and teach each other – practical techniques to increase milk production, practice safe complementary feeding and prevent common nutritional risks in emergency situations. Since the launch of Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces in March 2025, our teams have supported nearly 10,000 mothers and caregivers to increase rates of exclusive breastfeeding, essential to prevent and combat malnutrition, ensure healthy physical and cognitive growth, identify acute malnutrition early and provide rapid referral for treatment.
Reduction of maternal stress and improvement of the well-being of those in charge
Peer support sessions, group psychosocial support and awareness sessions help mothers cope with trauma and understand the importance of children’s psychological well-being. “Mothers and caregivers often tell us that they need more of these sessions because they offer them a break from the psychological pressure they experience under the violence and blockade,” explains the nutrition advisor. Making the caregiver calmer and feeling more supported has a direct impact on child nutrition and development. Mothers say they feel more “ views » et « valued “, and they are more confident when caring for their infants.
Trained Action Against Hunger staff monitor growth, look for danger signs and educate mothers on early recognition of symptoms of illness or malnutrition. In the most serious cases, we teach mothers to perform MUAC tests themselves – particularly in Gaza, where forced displacement orders from Israeli forces and attacks on hospitals have limited access to clinics. Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces often serve as the first health triage point for infants. When the number of cases of malnutrition is high, our teams organize a schedule so that women come at a time and place that suits them.
Above all, Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces create an environment where mothers and caregivers feel supported and are able to care for their children in times of crisis. It’s a place where they can ask questions, share their fears and recreate a sense of autonomy. “Women need to be listened to more, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We want every woman to feel valued”explains the nutrition advisor. In Gaza, where families have been forcibly displaced repeatedly, where shelters are overcrowded and flooded by rain, and where daily survival – even during ceasefires – requires constant vigilance, Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces truly save lives.
What was the original context in which the Mother-Baby Friendly Spaces model was developed?
The Mother‑Baby Friendly Spaces (MBFS) model was first piloted in 2013 by Action Against Hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a safe, child‑friendly area were mothers could breastfeed, receive nutrition counseling, and access psychosocial support. After proving effective in reducing infant malnutrition and maternal stress,the concept was adapted for emergency settings and incorporated into the UNS Minimum Initial Service Package for reproductive health. In response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, action Against hunger launched its first MBFS in the northern camp of al‑Zawayda on 15 March 2025, partnering with local health authorities, UNRWA, and donors from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
The Gaza MBFS were designed as modular, low‑cost structures (approximately 12 m × 8 m) equipped with privacy curtains, infant weighing scales, MUAC tapes, breast‑milk expression tools, and a quiet corner for psychosocial group sessions.Staff were recruited locally and received a 10‑day intensive training covering infant feeding, growth monitoring, trauma‑informed care, and community‑based referrals. Funding for the pilot phase amounted to US $3.2 million,covering construction,staff salaries,supplies,and a monitoring‑evaluation system that tracks exclusive‑breastfeeding rates,MUAC screenings,and referrals to tertiary care.
Since its inauguration, the al‑Zawayda MBFS has served nearly 10,000 mothers and caregivers (as of 31 December 2025). Exclusive breastfeeding among participants rose from 34 % at entry to 71 % after three months of regular attendance. Early detection of acute malnutrition increased by 58 %,with 312 infants referred for therapeutic feeding within the first six months. The program’s success prompted the Ministry of Health to endorse an expansion plan that will add three additional MBFS in the Gaza Strip by mid‑2026, aiming to reach an estimated 30,000 families.
| Metric | Value | Reference / Date |
|---|---|---|
| initial pilot launch | 15 March 2025 | Action Against Hunger field report |
| Number of mothers served (2025) | ≈ 9,800 | Monitoring data, 31 Dec 2025 |
| exclusive‑breastfeeding increase | 34 % → 71 % | Baseline vs. 3‑month follow‑up |
| Acute malnutrition detections | 312 infants referred | Health triage records, Jan‑Jun 2025 |
| Cost of pilot phase | US $3.2 million | Donor financial report, 2025 |
| planned expansion (2026) | 3 additional MBFS, 30,000 families | Ministry of Health agreement |
Is the Mother‑Baby Friendly Space program safe for infants? Yes. All MBFS adhere to WHO child‑health standards, providing sanitized feeding areas, regular disinfection of equipment, and qualified health workers trained in neonatal safety. Breast‑milk expression kits are single‑use and disposal protocols follow infection‑control guidelines. Moreover, the spaces include a quiet zone for trauma‑informed psychosocial activities, reducing exposure to stressors that can compromise infant immunity.
What is the cost of implementing Mother‑Baby Friendly Spaces in gaza over time? The initial pilot (one MBFS) cost US $3.2 million, covering design, construction, staffing, supplies, and monitoring for the first 12 months. scaling up to three additional sites is projected at US $9.5 million, which includes larger modular units, expanded staff teams, and a strengthened referral network. By 2028, cumulative investment is expected to reach approximately US $13 million, with an anticipated cost‑per‑beneficiary reduction to about US $150 per child due to economies of scale and increased community ownership.
