I hope you can help me save my child before birth

My name is Heba Zaqout and I'm 22 years old. I am currently 8 months pregnant and just a few weeks away from giving birth to my first child.

Before the war, I was entering adulthood with hope and excitement—I had started my final year at university, and my now-husband had just proposed. We were preparing for a beautiful wedding and a new life together, full of dreams and love.

But everything changed in an instant when the war broke out.

Our lives turned into a tragedy. We were forced to flee our home in Jabalia camp and evacuate to the South. Even the evacuation itself was a nightmare. Both our families came under heavy bombardment. Many of our loved ones were injured, including my siblings and my husband, who sustained an injury to his right hand. He now struggles with mobility and numbness in several fingers.

Amidst the chaos and under the harsh conditions of war, we got married in a small, simple family gathering. Now, we are expecting our first child, but we are surviving with barely the minimum needed for life and almost no access to healthcare.

When the ceasefire happened in March, we returned to the North with hope like many others dreaming of going back to our homes. But our dreams were crushed again. Our home was gone, reduced to rubble. Despite the devastation, we still tried to hold on to hope, thinking perhaps the war was nearing its end. But that hope, too, has faded.

We are still struggling for the most basic necessities food, water, and shelter. We've been displaced multiple times, and each day, we stand in long lines just for a chance at a little water or bread, often returning with next to nothing.

With the imminent arrival of my baby in a few weeks left before I give birth, I’m reaching out to you with a heartfelt plea. We urgently need help to prepare for the arrival of our baby and provide for the baby's basic needs.

Please, I ask for your compassion and kindness. Help us survive this war and find a way to rebuild our lives somewhere safe, outside of Gaza, and with the dream of being able to return one day to rebuild a home in our homeland. We dream of living a dignified life in peace for the sake of our child’s future.