Rising Child Mortality Rates in Gaza Due to Cold Weather: UNICEF Warns
The Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at UNICEF, Edward Beigbeder, has raised alarms about the increasing death toll among Palestinian children and infants living in tents and temporary shelters in the Gaza Strip due to plummeting temperatures.
Beigbeder, quoted by UNICEF’s press office, stated, “The final days of the year suggest no end to
the threats facing children in Gaza. Reports indicate at least 11 children were killed in attacks
over the last three days, and now we are also witnessing children dying from cold and lack of
proper housing.”
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, four infants have died due to hypothermia in
recent days. Beigbeder further warned, “As temperatures are expected to drop further in the
coming days, we can anticipate more tragedy where more children will die due to inhumane
conditions and lack of protection from the cold.”
In the last 72 hours
Three newborns have tragically frozen to death in refugee camps in Khan Younis, southern Gaza,
due to the cold and inability to access warm shelter.
Beigbeder also highlighted that in November, only about 65 aid trucks entered Gaza daily, which
he described as “far too few to meet the basic needs of children and women.” He added that the
northern part of Gaza has been under near-total siege for over two months.
On December 2
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced that Gaza is facing widespread
famine, noting that in the last four months alone, approximately 19,000 children were admitted to
hospitals due to acute malnutrition, doubling the number from the first half of 2024.
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