In brief
In recent weeks, a heartbreaking trend has emerged in Gaza, where impoverished families face the dual threats of war and extreme winter temperatures.
In the southern region of Gaza, as night temperatures plummet to a chilling 7°C (45°F), the plight of families living in overcrowded tents has reached tragic proportions. The story of Sila, a 20-day-old baby girl, exemplifies the dire circumstances many face. Her mother, Nariman al-Najmeh, recounts the harrowing moment she found her daughter motionless, suffering from severe hypothermia in the tent they called home.Displacement has become a way of life for Nariman and her husband, Mahmoud Fasih, as they have been forced to flee their home more than ten times during the protracted 14-month conflict. “My husband is a fisherman; we left with nothing but the hope for a safer future for our children,” Nariman shared with a BBC-affiliated cameraman amid the distressing conditions.The family, currently residing in the al-Mawasi area designated as a "humanitarian zone" by the Israeli military, is struggling with inadequate infrastructure, sanitation issues, and the constant threat of flooding. Despite being urged to evacuate to this area, civilians find it insecure as airstrikes continue.Sila, born at a British field hospital, should have been cherished within a nurturing environment. Instead, her family lived in a leaking tent with limited access to life’s basic necessities. Nariman recalled, “When I was pregnant, I was anxious about how to care for my baby. Now, I can only think about keeping her warm.”Tragically, Sila is not alone. The local health authorities report that six other newborns have died from hypothermia over the past two weeks within the same harsh conditions. Dr. Ahmad al-Farra, head of pediatrics at Nasser Hospital, confirmed that most cases arise from severe hypothermia resulting from the intense cold night temperatures.Moreover, mothers like Nariman face malnutrition and stress, which inhibit effective breastfeeding. With humanitarian aid restricted, infant formula has become scarce, exacerbating the struggle amid these bleak circumstances.Sila's tragic fate mirrors other heartbreaking stories. Yehia al-Batran recently carried his newborn son, Jumaa, also frozen with cold, expressing anguish over the lack of blankets for his family of eight. "What can I do?" he lamented. The dire conditions are not just unfortunate; they reveal the level of crisis facing families within Gaza.As temperatures are expected to drop even further, UNICEF's regional director Edouard Beigbeder warned that these preventable deaths starkly highlight the conditions many families are enduring. After laying his daughter to rest in a makeshift grave, tired and ill, Mahmoud expressed the despair of his family, underlining, “If we don’t die from the war, we’re dying from the cold.”
