In war-torn Gaza, families like that of Yahya al-Batran are struggling to survive as the citizens grapple with unimaginable grief. The harsh winter in the country has claimed the lives of several children, including newborn babies. Yahya clutched the tiny clothes of his newborn son, Jumaa, who recently died from the cold in a makeshift tent. “We are watching our children die before our eyes,” the 44-year-old father lamented.
Jumaa was one of seven children who died within seven days because of the bitter cold wave across the region, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Noura al-Batran, Jumaa’s mother, expressed her anguish: “We fled the bombing from Beit Lahia, only for them to die from the cold here?” The 38-year-old mother, still recovering from a premature birth, is left to care for Jumaa’s twin brother, Ali, who is in intensive care at a hospital in southern Gaza.
Desperate Conditions in Gaza’s Makeshift Shelters
The Batran family, like hundreds of others, lives in a makeshift tent in Deir el-Balah made of worn-out blankets and fabric. Displaced multiple times by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, they struggle to stay warm and dry amidst heavy rains and temperatures dropping as low as 8°C (46°F).
“We don’t have enough blankets or suitable clothing. I saw my baby start to freeze, his skin turned blue, and then he died,” Noura said tearfully.
The family’s twins were born prematurely, but without access to proper heating, the doctor had to remove them from the incubator. Now, the surviving twin battles for his life in intensive care.
On a rain-soaked mat in their tent, Yahya tried to comfort his older children with worn-out blankets. He made a simple meal of tea mixed with dry bread, cheese, and zaatar, a thyme-based spice blend, to feed his family.
Rising Death Toll Among Children of Gaza
The freezing conditions have been affecting a majority of the displaced families across Gaza. In Khan Yunis, another father, Mahmoud al-Fasih, found his infant daughter Seela “frozen from the cold” in their small tent as there are no blankets or warm clothes available to them. Despite rushing Seela to the hospital in a designated “humanitarian zone,” she was pronounced dead.
Dr. Ahmad Al-Farra, director of the emergency and children’s department at Nasser Hospital, confirmed Seela’s death from severe hypothermia. Another infant, Aisha al-Qassas, only 20 days old, also succumbed to the cold. “In Gaza, everything leads to death,” said her uncle, Mohamed al-Qassas. “Those who do not die under Israeli bombardments succumb to hunger or cold.”
Dire Warnings in Gaza as Conditions Worsen
The Hamas government’s press office warned of worsening weather in the coming days, describing it as a “real threat to two million displaced people,” most of whom are living in tents. Dr. Farra added, “Life in tents is dangerous due to the cold and the scarcity of energy and heating sources.” He cautioned that the worsening conditions could lead to more deaths among children, infants, and the elderly.
As Gaza’s displaced population faces dire shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, the United Nations has warned of an imminent collapse of the healthcare system. Families like the Batrans are left with little hope as they struggle to survive the harsh winter, with their children’s lives hanging by a thread. The situation calls for immediate humanitarian intervention to prevent further tragedies.
