PURPOSE:
This poster shares the lived reality of midwives who serve in humanitarian crises, conflict zones, refugee camps, and disaster-struck communities, where the birth of a child can be both a miracle and a risk. It highlights how trauma-informed, culturally safe, and respectful midwifery care becomes a lifeline for women navigating the most vulnerable moments of their lives amid chaos.

DISCUSSION:
Each day, women give birth in tents, abandoned buildings, and conflict zones, without electricity, clean water, or privacy. In these fragile settings, midwives are often the only healthcare workers present. Drawing on global guidance and stories from displaced communities, particularly Somali and Yemeni women, this poster explores how midwives preserve dignity, calm fear, and deliver life-saving care with little more than their hands, their knowledge, and their compassion. It explores strategies for trauma-sensitive and culturally respectful practice, even in makeshift or overcrowded facilities, and reflects on the emotional demands placed on midwives working in such environments. The poster also addresses the need for stronger global support, training, and recognition of midwives in humanitarian health systems.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
The UNFPA (2015) reports that over 500 women die daily from preventable causes in humanitarian settings. Research by Turkmani et al. (2019) shows midwives improve outcomes even in low-resource environments. ICM (2024) calls for strengthened midwifery leadership and education in crisis response.

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives are vital in crisis zones, offering skilled and compassionate care where it's needed most. To protect both mothers and midwives, global systems must invest in humanitarian midwifery as a core pillar of emergency health care. Poster session 4 (Group B)