GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that more children in the Gaza Strip could die this winter from freezing temperatures and the spread of disease as Israeli restrictions continue to obstruct the entry of humanitarian aid, shelter supplies and construction materials.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Gaza’s children are facing their fourth winter under extremely harsh humanitarian conditions, stressing that the same warnings are repeated every year despite clear knowledge of what is needed to protect children and families from the cold.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Elder said humanitarian organizations know what must be done and have clearly identified the essential supplies and construction materials required, but Israeli authorities continue to prevent their entry into Gaza.
He noted that children’s suffering has already begun this year, even though winter has not officially started. Gaza is already experiencing flooding and extremely cold weather, he said, with conditions resembling those endured by children during the previous three winters.
Elder warned that continued restrictions on essential supplies are depriving families of the means to protect themselves, leaving children increasingly vulnerable to hypothermia, illness and other life-threatening conditions.
Israeli authorities continue to restrict the entry of agreed quantities of food, medicines, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated housing units into the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, approximately 2.4 million Palestinians live in Gaza, including 2.15 million displaced people, many of whom face catastrophic humanitarian conditions.
The risks are increasing as displacement continues and homes and infrastructure remain severely damaged, forcing large numbers of families to shelter in tents and overcrowded displacement centers offering little protection against rain, wind and freezing temperatures.
These conditions have made the approaching winter an additional threat to children’s lives and health, particularly amid shortages of adequate shelter and other basic necessities.
Since October 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000, most of them children and women. The war has also caused extensive destruction, affecting approximately 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure.
UNICEF warned that without the urgent entry of shelter materials and essential humanitarian supplies, children will remain exposed to preventable deaths and illnesses as winter conditions worsen.
