Extreme cold claims life of baby girl in Gaza
2 Min Read
This tragic incident follows the death of six other children on Tuesday due to severe cold, with health officials warning of critical conditions among other affected children.
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Baby Sila Abdel Qader, just one and a half months old, died from the cold in the tent where her family lives in Al-Shuja'iya (@Waseem_Bassam1, X)
A baby girl died on Wednesday due to extreme cold in her family's tent in the Al-Shuja'iya neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The infant, less than two months old, succumbed to the freezing temperatures amid harsh winter conditions in the Gaza Strip. This tragic incident follows the death of six other children on Tuesday due to severe cold, with health officials warning of critical conditions among other affected children.
#أطفال_غزة
— Samar Jaber (@Waseem_Bassam1) February 26, 2025
🚨الطفلة سيلا عبد القادر البالغة من العمر شهراً ونصف قتلها برد الخيام التي تعيش فيها مع عائلتها في حي الشجاعية شرق غزة بعد أن دمر الاحتلال منزل العائلة ومنع إدخال "الكرفانات" والمساكن. pic.twitter.com/xvoFJXr3MR
According to Palestinian medical sources, at least six infants have died from hypothermia in the past two weeks. The severe cold and inadequate shelter has exacerbated the dire living conditions for displaced families across Gaza. Over 90% of the population remains displaced, with many residing in makeshift tents or damaged buildings that offer little protection against the cold.
Fuel shortages have further compounded the crisis, hindering the operation of essential facilities, including water wells and sewage treatment plants. This has led to a scarcity of clean water, increasing the risk of illness and disease.
Additionally, more than half of Gaza's hospitals are out of service, while the remaining facilities are operating at limited capacity. The loss of approximately 1,000 health workers since October 2023 has severely compromised the territory's ability to respond to the surge in winter-related illnesses.
Humanitarian organizations are calling for urgent assistance to provide winter clothing, heating equipment, and medical supplies to prevent further tragedies. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has called for additional fuel supplies to sustain essential services, warning that the ongoing crisis threatens humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip.
Read more: Eighth infant dies from hypothermia amid Israeli genocide in Gaza
