A free childbirth program ends in eastern Congo at the worst of times

In a maternity ward in eastern Congo, Irene Nabudeba rested her hands on her bulging midsection, worried about giving birth in a city under rebel control.

The conflict that flared this year has left many medical supplies stranded beyond the front line. Infrastructure like running water has collapsed, along with the economy in Goma, the region’s humanitarian and commercial hub.

And now the one glimmer of hope for mothers — a free maternity care program offered by Congo’s government — has ended after it was not renewed in June. It was not clear why, and Congolese officials did not respond to questions.

Nabudeba has five children and wonders whether the sixth will survive.

“At the hospital, they ask us for money that we don’t have. I’m pushing myself to come to the consultations, but for the delivery … I don’t know where I’ll find the money,” she said at the