Winter cold claims life of new infant in Gaza

GAZA, Dec. 16 (YPA) – The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced, on Tuesday, the death of an infant due to a severe drop in body temperature, amid the harsh humanitarian conditions faced by residents as the low-pressure system and freezing weather hit the Gaza Strip.

The ministry reported that the infant, Muhammad Khalil Abu al-Khair, aged two weeks, died from the extreme cold after his health deteriorated, explaining that the child was transferred to the hospital two days ago and admitted to intensive care, but attempts to save him failed, and he died yesterday.

This coincided with heavy rainfall that caused flooding in a large number of tents belonging to displaced people in various areas of the Gaza Strip, especially in low-lying areas, exacerbating the suffering of thousands of families living in extremely difficult humanitarian conditions, amid a severe shortage of heating systems and safe shelter.

In a related context, the Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Munir al-Barsh, had previously warned of serious risks threatening the lives of children, the elderly, and the sick as a result of the drop in temperatures inside the displacement tents flooded by rainwater.

He also pointed out that the humidity and water leakage inside the tents create a suitable environment for the spread of respiratory diseases among the displaced, at a time when many patients are unable to obtain even the minimum level of healthcare, due to the deteriorating health conditions and the continued repercussions of the aggression.