One in two women who die during pregnancy or childbirth is in a conflict area, with maternal mortality more than 40 times higher in fragile contexts than it is in developing countries, according to International NGO CARE Australia. The research also shows that an estimated 35 million women gave birth in conflict zones in 2022, with the vast majority of them lacking medical care that meets basic standards of safety and quality.

These harrowing statistics highlight the reality for mothers around the world, who are disproportionately affected by conflict. Care is conducting an appeal which is supported by Adelaide Human Rights Activist and former refugee Khadija Gbla, who fled conflict in Sierra Leone to come to Australia when she was a child with her mother and sibling. Gbla is now a mother herself