DaysofPal – A three-month-old infant, Ali Abu Zour, tragically died on Thursday morning due to the severe cold affecting displaced families in the Gaza Strip. The death highlights the dire humanitarian and health conditions that residents have been facing for months.
Medical sources in Gaza reported that Ali Abu Zour succumbed to the extreme drop in temperatures, compounded by the lack of heating inside the temporary tents where thousands of families are currently living. Many of these families were forced from their homes during the ongoing conflict, and continue to face the harsh effects of winter storms and freezing temperatures.
With the death of Ali Abu Zour, the number of children who have died in Gaza due to the extreme cold since the beginning of the winter season has risen to ten. Aid shortages and the lack of heating have left countless families exposed to life-threatening conditions.
This incident comes amid repeated warnings from humanitarian and medical organizations about the increasing risks faced by infants, elderly people, and other vulnerable groups in displacement camps. Shortages of blankets, winter clothing, and heating supplies, as well as restrictions on the entry of tents and essential shelter materials into the Gaza Strip, have exacerbated the crisis.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza live in temporary, dilapidated tents that offer little protection from the cold and rain, following the destruction of entire residential neighborhoods during Israel’s ongoing genocide.
The health system is in collapse, with hospitals targeted during the war, widespread shortages of medicines and medical supplies, and chronic electricity and fuel outages.
International organizations have warned that the combination of extreme weather, malnutrition, contaminated water, and lack of healthcare could lead to a dramatic rise in child mortality, especially among newborns, if the blockade continues and humanitarian assistance is not allowed into Gaza.
The current cold wave coincides with heavy rain and strong winds, worsening the situation for displaced families. Humanitarian groups are increasingly calling for urgent international intervention to ensure safe shelter, heating, medical care, and protection for civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American and European support, has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, including killing, starvation, destruction, displacement, and arbitrary arrests, ignoring international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt its actions.
Over 242,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured in this genocide, the majority of them women and children, and over 11,000 are still unaccounted for. In addition, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and famine has claimed the lives of many, mostly children. Furthermore, the occupation has caused widespread destruction, effectively erasing most of the Gaza Strip’s cities and towns from the map.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=71517
