Mothers at risk as free maternity care ends in Congo

In a maternity ward in eastern Congo, Irene Nabudeba rested her hands on her bulging stomach, anxious about giving birth in a city now under rebel control. The conflict that escalated earlier this year has stranded medical supplies beyond the front line and crippled essential infrastructure like running water. In Goma — once the region’s humanitarian and commercial hub — the local economy has collapsed, and with it, one of the last…