Pascale Coissard, emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, says these challenges are mainly due to a lack of hygiene and severe scarcity of drinking water and clean water for good hygiene, which can bring about a lot of infections, such as urinary tract infections.

Speaking from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where MSF operates a maternity ward in Nasser Hospital, Coissard said the dire living conditions make pregnant women prone to preterm deliveries and miscarriages.

“Blood pressure-related complications as well are very common. In general, the living conditions after the delivery are very difficult for women, so taking care of themselves and their babies is very complicated,” she told Al Jazeera.

“We are seeing a lot of preterm deliveries. These babies are vulnerable to infections as well. The Nasser Hospital is the last tertiary hospital in Gaza, so any complication would mean a lot of pressure on the hospital,” Coissard said.