Gaza hospital reports severe NICU overcrowding amid rise in premature births

The neonatal intensive care unit at Al-Tahrir Hospital, part of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, is operating far beyond its capacity amid an increase in premature births and shortages of essential medical supplies, according to a doctor at the facility.

Pediatrician Darwish Abu al-Khair said the neonatal unit was experiencing its highest level of overcrowding since it was established in 2000.

According to Abu al-Khair, the hospital admitted 10 premature infants on 4^th September, bringing the number of newborns receiving care in the unit to 54.

He said the figure represented approximately 200 percent of the unit’s capacity, while the hospital was also facing critical shortages of medicines and oxygen.

The overcrowding has forced medical staff in some cases to place more than one newborn in the same incubator, Abu al-Khair told Quds Press.

He attributed the growing pressure on the unit to an increase in premature births and congenital abnormalities, which he linked to malnutrition, the deteriorating health of pregnant women and conditions resulting from the war in Gaza. These links reflect the doctor’s assessment as reported by Quds Press.

Gaza’s Health Ministry has previously reported widespread shortages of medicines, equipment and other supplies across the territory’s healthcare system.

The ministry said 5,493 babies were born in Gaza in August, the highest monthly number recorded in the territory since the beginning of 2026.

The reported increase in births comes as Gaza’s hospitals continue to operate under severe pressure amid displacement, damage to healthcare infrastructure and shortages of medical supplies.