Almaz Kidane Assefa, a 37 year old mother of five from Zalambessa Woreda in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, previously gave birth at home after conflict disrupted access to essential maternal health services. During her most recent pregnancy, she was able to safely deliver her baby at Zalambessa Health Center following the resumption of services supported by MCMDO through the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF). She also received postnatal follow up care, highlighting the importance of accessible maternal and newborn health services for communities recovering from conflict. 

A Pregnancy Marked by Uncertainty

For Almaz Kidane Assefa, a 37 year old mother of five, the birth of her youngest child was more than a family milestone. It was a moment of healing after years of fear, uncertainty, and hardship. Almaz lives in Zalambessa Woreda, where she heads her household alone after her divorce. Like many women in conflict affected communities across Tigray, she experienced firsthand the devastating impact of the prolonged disruption of essential health services. During the conflict, health facilities closed, medical supplies became scarce, and transportation routes were severely disrupted, leaving thousands of women without access to skilled maternal healthcare when they needed it most.
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“I still remember the fear I felt during my previous pregnancy. The health center was closed, there was no transport, and no one could help me. I delivered my baby at home without professional care. It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.”
Almaz
That traumatic experience stayed with her. When she became pregnant again, memories of her previous delivery filled her with anxiety. She feared she would once again face childbirth alone, without skilled health workers or the reassurance that both she and her baby would be safe.

The Return of Safe Maternal Care

Everything changed when she learned that the maternity ward at Zalambessa Health Center had resumed services. 

Supported through the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF), Mothers and Children Multisectoral Development Organization (MCMDO) has been working to restore essential health services in conflict affected communities, ensuring that mothers and newborns once again have access to safe, quality healthcare close to home. By restoring maternal and newborn health services, the Fund is helping reduce preventable deaths, strengthen community resilience, and rebuild confidence in the local health system as communities recover from conflict. The restoration of these services means that women no longer have to choose between delivering at home without skilled assistance or travelling long distances in search of care. 

When labor began, Almaz immediately went to the health center. This time, instead of locked doors and uncertainty, she was welcomed by skilled health professionals in a fully functioning maternity ward.  

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“The difference was beyond anything I had imagined. The health workers received me with kindness, cared for me throughout the delivery, and made me feel safe. I finally experienced what every mother deserves, a safe birth.”

 
Almaz

A Safe Delivery and Continued Care

Almaz successfully delivered a healthy baby, and both mother and child remained in good condition throughout their stay at the facility. Beyond the medical care, the experience restored something she had almost lost: confidence that her community could once again rely on its health system.

Almaz and her newborn receive postnatal care during a home visit

After returning home, Almaz continued receiving postnatal follow up from MCMDO-supported health workers. Home visits helped monitor her recovery, identify any health concerns early, and ensure both mother and baby remained healthy during the critical weeks after childbirth. 

Almaz receives a blood pressure check during a postnatal home visit.

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“The happiness and relief I felt cannot be fully expressed. After everything we have lived through, giving birth safely in a health facility feels like a new beginning for me and my children.”
Almaz

Rebuilding Trust in Healthcare

Health workers at Zalambessa Health Center say stories like Almaz’s demonstrate the importance of restoring primary healthcare services as communities recover from conflict.

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“Every safe delivery represents a life protected. Since services resumed, more women are choosing to give birth at the facility because they know skilled care is available. That trust is essential for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.”
 
Ashenafi, MCMDO Health Officer in Zalambessa
 

Hope for Mothers and Newborns

Almaz’s story reflects the broader recovery taking place across the area. The reopening of essential maternal and newborn health services is helping reduce preventable deaths and complications while encouraging more women to seek antenatal care, skilled delivery services, and postnatal follow up. As more families return to using health facilities, communities are rebuilding confidence in the healthcare system and improving the health and wellbeing of mothers and newborns.

Through the support of the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund, MCMDO continues to strengthen access to lifesaving healthcare for vulnerable communities across Tigray. Every safe delivery represents more than a medical achievement. It is a sign that essential services are returning, resilience is growing, and families affected by conflict can once again look ahead with hope.

For Almaz, the healthy cry of her newborn marked not only the arrival of a child, but also the return of dignity, safety, and hope after years of uncertainty. Her story is a reminder that timely humanitarian assistance does more than restore health services. It restores confidence, protects lives, and gives families the opportunity to rebuild their futures with hope.

Watch Almaz tell her story of safe motherhood and hope.
Watch Almaz tell her story of safe motherhood and hope.