‘A symbol of hope’: donkey carries woman through bombed streets and shelling to deliver her baby safely

A donkey who was helped by a welfare charity in Gaza carried a heavily pregnant woman to hospital through bombed streets and the sound of shelling to deliver her baby.

Thanks to Fatima, Alaa’s baby Nur Mohammed arrived safely, and mother and baby are doing well. The story was shared by Safe Haven for Donkeys, a British registered charity that cares for working and abandoned donkeys in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Egypt, and Gaza.

“With fuel scarce, and many trucks, vans and cars destroyed, donkeys have become the main mode of transport for moving people in Gaza – often taking those who are injured to hospital – alongside carrying food, water, and essential medicines through a war-ravaged landscape,” a spokesperson for the charity said.

“Led by Dr Saif, Safe Haven for Donkeys’ mobile team in Gaza is working tirelessly every day to provide relief to donkeys and horses that have horrific harness wounds, as well as injuries from missiles and bombs. Having treated approximately 1,000 donkeys and horses since the team started their work in April, this number is only growing.”

The spokesperson said that with no ambulances or cars available, Fatima, who had been treated by the charity, was Alaa’s only hope when her contractions started.

“In the heart of Gaza, the most crowded city in the world, amidst the sounds of distant explosions and the cries of despair, an immense and brutally treated community clung to hope,” Dr Saif said. “Among them was Alaa, a woman who was nine months pregnant, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her child.

“In Gaza, life has been increasingly difficult, if not even impossible, and the war has left everything in dire circumstances. With no ambulance or car available, a donkey was the only glimmer of hope to save Alaa and her baby. With hospitals stretched thin and access to medical care limited, Alaa knew that the journey to the hospital would be perilous.

“One evening, Alaa felt the first pangs of labour. Panic washed over her; the sounds of war echoed around her, and she felt alone in her home, filled with uncertainty. Her husband, who was with his ill elderly father at hospital, called my brother, Mohammed, for help. Mohammed called me. Then I immediately asked Mohammed to provide help, since he lives around their village, the eastern part of Khan Youns, where the roads are completely devastated. Here, it is only a donkey that can access the area.”

Mohammed called Saaeed, the owner of Fatima, whom the charity had recently treated.

“Soon after, with her heart pounding, Alaa was holding on tight, as Mohammed led the way,” Dr Saif said. “The streets were littered with stones, shrapnel, and the remnants of completely wiped-out buildings that had once stood tall and proud.

“They encountered obstacles as they made their way through the narrow, winding alleyways. A collapsed wall blocked their path, but Mohammed manoeuvred around it surprisingly deftly. The journey was long, tiring, dangerous, and the sounds of shelling were increasing to cover larger areas.

“They never expected to make it to Nasar Hospital but eventually they reached the shattered but still standing building. Surprised to see her arrive on a donkey, the medical staff rushed to her side and quickly ushered her inside to the delivery room.”

An hour later, the baby was born, and later still, he and Alaa were taken home.

“At that moment, amid the turmoil of war, there was an unshakable bond formed between a woman, her child and a donkey, who had defied the odds,” Dr Saif said. “With her quiet strength, the donkey had done more than carry a mother to safety – she had become a symbol of resilience, hope and the unbreakable spirit of those who live through the darkest of times. The donkey had not only carried Alaa but had also carried the hopes of a community yearning for better days.”

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