**Gaza Babies Dying from the Cold**
Winter temperatures in Gaza are dropping, and many babies are dying as a result. Sila, a 20-day-old baby girl, was one of them.
Sila’s mother, Nariman, noticed that her baby wasn’t moving. When she uncovered her face, she found Sila to be blue and biting her tongue with blood oozing out of her mouth. The cause of death was not bombing, but the harsh conditions imposed by war on civilians.
Nariman says that her family left their home in the north to come to Gaza because they wanted to protect their children. However, the living conditions in the al-Mawasi “humanitarian area” are dire. There is poor infrastructure, sanitation, and flooding caused by rain and waves from the Mediterranean Sea.
The cold is also a major problem. Mahmoud, Sila’s father, says that his family has to curl up together at night because of the bitter cold. He adds that their life is hell due to the effects of war and the punishing conditions imposed on civilians.
Sila was taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where Dr. Ahmad al-Farra said that she had suffered severe hyperthermia, which led to her cardiac arrest and death. Two other cases were also brought into the hospital, both resulting in death.
**The Humanitarian Crisis**
Babies have a poorly developed mechanism for maintaining their body temperature and can develop hypothermia in cold climates. Premature infants are particularly vulnerable, and Gaza’s medics have observed an increase in premature births due to malnutrition among mothers.
There is also a shortage of infant formula due to limited humanitarian aid deliveries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed for an end to attacks on Gaza hospitals.
**A Desperate Situation**
Unicef Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder stated that the preventable deaths in Gaza reveal the desperate and deteriorating condition facing families and children throughout the territory. It is inevitable that more children will die in the next few days due to the harsh living conditions they endure.
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