Displaced Child Dies in Gaza Due to Severe Cold and Flooding of Tents

Medical sources announced today the death of a nine-month-old infant as a result of the severe cold that is hitting the tents of displaced people in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. The spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza reported that thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians were flooded and severely damaged or blown away due to the severe storm that the region witnessed last night.

Activists on social media circulated a moving image of the infant frozen from the cold, sparking a wave of urgent demands to save the residents of the Strip from the current cold and rain wave, which is increasing their suffering.

The Civil Defense stated that it received more than 2,500 distress calls in the past 24 hours due to the bad weather conditions, noting that the tents of the displaced are unable to withstand such harsh climatic conditions, and called on the international community to take immediate action to save the residents of the Strip.

For its part, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stressed the possibility of significantly alleviating the suffering of the residents of the Gaza Strip if humanitarian aid is allowed to enter without any restrictions, allowing them to overcome the winter safely and with dignity.

This statement comes at a time when the Strip has been witnessing a severe atmospheric depression for several days, which further complicates the already deteriorating humanitarian conditions as a result of the widespread destruction caused by the Israeli war over the past two years.

UNRWA explained in a post on the "X" platform that winter rains are returning to Gaza again, bringing with them more difficulties and suffering for the besieged population.

The agency pointed out that the flooded streets and wet tents further exacerbate the already difficult living conditions and increase the health risks that threaten the lives of the displaced.

UNRWA warned that the severe cold, overcrowding, and lack of basic hygiene services increase the rates of disease and epidemics among the displaced.

UNRWA affirmed that the flow of humanitarian aid without restrictions, including medical supplies and appropriate shelter materials, can alleviate this suffering and help families face the winter with greater safety and dignity.

The Civil Defense reported that more than 250,000 families in displacement camps are facing severe cold and torrential rains in dilapidated tents that are unable to protect them.

The spokesman for the Civil Defense in Gaza, Mahmoud Bassal, explained in a press statement that more than 250,000 families in displacement camps in the Strip are suffering from severe cold and torrential rains in tents that are not fit for habitation.

The heavy rains that fell heavily in various areas of Gaza led to the flooding of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians, due to the strong atmospheric depression affecting the Strip, which will continue until Friday evening.

The displaced in the Gaza Strip live in a tragic reality as a result of the lack of basic necessities of life, the difficulty of obtaining essential needs, and the lack of vital services due to the continuation of the Israeli siege imposed on the Strip.

Over two years of war and destruction, tens of thousands of tents were damaged by direct Israeli bombing or bombing that targeted the surrounding areas, while the condition of some tents deteriorated due to various weather factors, such as the high heat of the sun in the summer and strong winds in the winter.

The ceasefire agreement ended the genocide war that Israel began on October 8, 2023, and lasted for two years, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 70,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 170,000, in addition to massive destruction that affected 90% of the civilian infrastructure, and initial losses estimated at about 70 billion dollars.