Pregnant women and newborn babies are being cut off from medical help near Pakistan’s border with Iran, with an aid worker reporting that women and children have died as the war reaches its six month mark.
Usama bin Muhammad, who works with Humanity Care Relief in Balochistan, said soaring fuel costs, security fears and a lack of willing drivers are making it increasingly difficult to get pregnant women to medical facilities. Before the conflict, charity workers could arrange vehicles to take expectant mothers from isolated communities to receive medical help when they were preparing to give birth. Now, transport workers are too frightened to enter some areas near the border, and the cost of fuel means many families cannot afford private transport even when it is available.
Usama bin said: “Newborn babies and pregnant women are struggling. Before, we could arrange transportation to help families when someone was about to give birth. Now, as a charity, we cannot arrange that transportation. So many children and women have died in this situation, and no one is ready to come into the area. This is the main issue.”
Usama bin added: “People working in transport are scared and do not want to go into the border area. Families are struggling and we are also struggling to help them.”
The reported deaths come as communities close to the Iran Pakistan border face severe disruption six months into the conflict. The wider conflict involving Iran began in late February 2026 with strikes that disrupted regional stability, trade, and security along neighbouring borders, including those shared with Pakistan. Communities in Balochistan have felt the effects through heightened tensions, restricted movement, and economic strain, with local markets disrupted, and traditional income sources such as livestock rearing severely affected. Families who previously relied on these activities now depend more heavily on external support for basic needs.
Humanity Care Relief is working to keep healthcare accessible to families who would otherwise struggle to afford even basic medical tests. The charity supports clinics in the area where residents can receive regular health checks and treatment for illnesses, while its workers continue trying to reach isolated communities despite the increasingly difficult conditions. It is also providing food packs, clean water projects, nutritious meals for children, and livestock to families whose traditional livelihoods have been devastated.
Usama bin said: “In the health sector, no one can afford to have a test. We have clinics in that area, so we help people with their health every month. If they have a fever or another illness, we have a clinic there and we can help them. If there is no charity in that area, there is no education, there is no healthcare, and there is no life there.”
Usman Dar, of Humanity Care Relief, said charity workers are putting themselves at risk to reach some of the people affected. He said: “Charity workers put their lives at risk to reach these places. The work of the people who risk their lives to reach these communities should be acknowledged.”
Humanity a UK based charity registered in Nelson, Lancashire, has long supported remote communities in Balochistan with education, food distribution, healthcare clinics, and water projects, including installing water pumps in areas without reliable electricity or supply.
Access to maternal and newborn care was already limited in parts of Balochistan even before the current conflict. The additional barriers of frightened drivers and high fuel prices have compounded the risks for expectant mothers who need to travel for deliveries or emergency treatment. Aid workers stress that without sustained access to transport, healthcare, and basic supplies, the situation for pregnant women and newborns remains critical, underlining the wider humanitarian impact of the prolonged regional conflict on border populations who face daily challenges in securing food, medical attention, and safe travel.