Outbrave Relief provides postpartum support to war-affected Israeli and Palestinian families.
Outbrave Relief is a humanitarian nonprofit rooted in Jerusalem and New York. We provide postpartum support to war-affected families in Israel and Gaza.
To save one life is to sustain an entire world.
WHY WE EXIST
Every war harms mothers and babies first. A mother’s well-being during pregnancy and the postpartum period directly shapes her child’s lifelong physical and mental health, including vulnerability to stress, emotional dysregulation, and anxiety. When mothers in conflict go unsupported, communities lose something precious: their future.
Across the region, sirens, bombings, displacement, and prolonged fear have left thousands of women raising newborns amid exhaustion, grief, and uncertainty. Their postpartum period — a time that should be about healing and bonding — is instead marked by physical recovery amid displacement and loss, compounded by the collapse of social support networks. Millions of Israelis and Palestinians are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety as a result of the ongoing conflict. For new mothers, these symptoms are especially devastating: a mother’s mental health directly shapes her baby’s early development. Unresolved trauma during the prenatal and postpartum period can impair infant bonding and regulation, increasing the risk of lifelong susceptibility to stress, emotional dysregulation, and anxiety.
Outbrave Relief exists because the earliest weeks of life offer the strongest opportunity to break the cycle of trauma.
About our Team
Outbrave Relief’s founding team is made up of dedicated professionals based in Israel and the United States – united by a shared commitment to advancing women’s health and transforming the landscape of postpartum care in crisis zones.
Mirjam van de Giessen
President & Executive Director
Urte Leopold
Deputy Director
Catie Newell
Vice-President & Treasurer on the Board
Dr. Mushira Aboodia
Board Director
Fanny Golan
Board Secretary
Recovery in Israel
Trauma-informed postpartum care for war-affected families
Since October 2023, tens of thousands of families have been displaced or living just beyond evacuation zones, still coping with destruction, sirens, missiles, and deep community loss. Homes, neighborhoods, and livelihoods remain shattered, and many continue rehabilitation while mourning loved ones.
Outbrave Relief provides trauma-informed perinatal support in Israel’s hardest-hit areas. Guided by maternal-health and trauma experts, we help parents navigate birth, recovery, mental health, breastfeeding, and early caregiving during an exceptionally challenging time.
We provide essential supplies to mothers and babies in need
Humanitarian Relief in Gaza
Essential supplies for families in extreme crisis
In Gaza, war and mass displacement have created dire conditions for everyone, especially infants entering the world in unsafe and unsanitary environments. With hospitals and clinics damaged or overwhelmed, many women give birth in overcrowded shelters or under-resourced field hospitals – often without basic supplies, medical support, or privacy.
With thousands of births expected each month, Outbrave Relief works through trusted healthcare partners to deliver postpartum aid, safe-sleep solutions, and newborn kits containing hygiene items and practical guidance for safer recovery and early care.
Prefer to donate via bank wire?
For larger gifts or institutional giving, we’re happy to provide secure wire instructions.
Please email Mirjam, our Executive Director, at mirjam@outbraverelief.org for assistance.
Donations via international wire are also possible. We’d love to hear from you and support the method that works best for you.
Outbrave Relief is a registered charity in the State of New York and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
All donations are tax-deductible in the United States to the fullest extent allowed by law. EIN: 33-3116383
Have questions?
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