According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), there are 50,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip, of which 5,500 are due to give birth within the next two weeks.

It said many of these women are suffering from a lack of regular check-ups and treatment because Gaza’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse due to the siege imposed by Israel.

The destruction of the Gaza Strip’s main roads have increased the amount of time it takes for pregnant women to reach the few functional hospitals to give birth. A journey that would take only a few minutes by car can now take hours, putting the health of mothers at severe risk, Al Jazeera reports.