College of Midwives Chief Executive, Alison Eddy:
The New Zealand College of Midwives is alarmed and deeply saddened by the Russian strike of a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine during a ceasefire. The College condemns all mindless and cowardly attacks that are causing unnecessary
suffering to innocent civilians including women in labour, new mothers, babies, families, midwives and hospital staff.
I cannot begin to imagine the horror those women in labour and their families experienced at such a vulnerable time in
their lives. Our hearts go out to them and all of the Ukrainian people. We stand alongside so many organisations in our
condemnation of this unnecessary and abhorrent violence.