Infant deaths from Gaza cold wave rises to six

The number of infant deaths owing to the ongoing cold wave in the Gaza Strip has risen to six, Palestinian medical sources reported.

Munir Al-Bursh, director-general of the Gaza-based health authorities, said in a press statement that "the number of children who have died due to the severe cold has risen to six", noting that the total number of child deaths owing to low temperatures since the beginning of winter has reached 15. He warned of a worsening health crisis, as the destruction of medical infrastructure continues to hinder healthcare services in the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

Al-Bursh stressed that hospitals, particularly pediatric clinics, are struggling to provide essential medical care amid severe resource shortages and frequent power outages.

Earlier on Tuesday 25 February, Saeed Salah, director of Friends of the Patient Charitable Hospital in Gaza City, said at least three infants had died in the past few hours owing to severe cold and the absence of adequate heating in their shelters.

Gaza has been experiencing a harsh cold wave in recent days, with strong winds, heavy rain, and low temperatures. The extreme weather has uprooted hundreds of tents and flooded many displacement camps, exacerbating the suffering of thousands of families.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has previously warned of the increasing risks to newborns in Gaza, reporting that 7,700 infants lack the medical care necessary for survival amid worsening conditions and a severe shortage of safe shelters.