Severe cold and rain deepen humanitarian crisis for Gaza children: UNICEF

The ongoing severe cold spell and heavy rainfall in war-ravaged Gaza have further intensified the humanitarian crisis, as displaced families remain forced to live in makeshift tents and conditions continue to deteriorate with each passing day.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed serious concern over the worsening situation of children in Gaza, warning that extreme weather conditions combined with the ongoing humanitarian crisis pose grave risks to their lives.

According to UNICEF, millions of children in Gaza are currently living in temporary shelters, facing life-threatening dangers due to extreme cold, inadequate housing, and severe shortages of food, healthcare, and protective services.

The agency warned that without large-scale winterization measures, deaths among newborns and young children could rise further.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, UNICEF’s Chief of Communications for Palestine, Jonathan Crickx, said that living conditions for children in Gaza have become extremely alarming.

He stated that children are forced to stay in tents flooded with rainwater, with soaked blankets and only one or two sets of clothing, making it nearly impossible to keep them dry and warm.

UNICEF also cautioned that the prevailing conditions significantly increase the risk of disease outbreaks among children in the besieged territory.