MSF warns that infants in Gaza are dying from severe winter exposure. Heavy storms have flooded or destroyed tens of thousands of makeshift tents, and aid deliveries remain constrained. Medical teams report multiple infant deaths, rising respiratory infections among young children, and urgent need for shelters, blankets and heating. MSF and other organisations call on authorities to rapidly expand humanitarian access to prevent a larger winter health catastrophe.
MSF: Infants Are Dying In Gaza As Winter Storms, Flooded Tents And Aid Blockades Worsen Crisis
Mother Eman Abu al-Khair and her two-year-old daughter, Mona, check baby Mohammed’s clothes bag after his death [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warns that infants and young children in the Gaza Strip are dying from exposure to severe winter weather as heavy storms flood makeshift shelters and humanitarian supplies are delayed or blocked. MSF urged Israeli authorities to urgently allow a large-scale increase of lifesaving aid, saying the combination of winter conditions and already dire living situations is greatly increasing health risks for displaced families.
Fatalities and Medical Impact
MSF cited the death of a 29-day-old premature infant, Said Asad Abedin, who succumbed to severe hypothermia in Khan Younis. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that extreme weather had caused at least 13 deaths as of Thursday. MSF also documented the recent death of a two-week-old baby, Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair, who froze to death after lacking adequate shelter and clothing.
Medical staff in Gaza are reporting rising numbers of respiratory infections and other cold-related illnesses, particularly among children under five. Ahmed al-Farra, head of the maternity and paediatrics department at Nasser Medical Complex, warned in a video update that "hypothermia is very dangerous" for newborns and that without warming equipment, mobile homes or caravans, "unfortunately, we will see more and more" fatalities. Bilal Abu Saada, a nursing team supervisor at Nasser Hospital, told MSF: "Babies are arriving at the hospital cold, with near-death vital signs."
Shelter Damage and Humanitarian Access
Heavy rain, high winds and freezing temperatures have battered Gaza in recent weeks, leaving more than 53,000 tents flooded or blown away. The UN says roughly 55,000 families had belongings or shelters damaged or destroyed by the storms, and dozens of child-friendly spaces — affecting about 30,000 children — were also damaged. With large areas of infrastructure destroyed, streets flood easily and sewage systems overflow, forcing many families to shelter in partially collapsed buildings despite collapse risks.
MSF and other humanitarian organisations say relief deliveries remain insufficient. Since the October 10 ceasefire took effect, Israeli authorities have continued to restrict the flow of some humanitarian items into Gaza, despite repeated appeals from UN agencies and international groups. Natasha Hall of Refugees International said aid is entering only in a "trickle" in part because of an opaque list of controlled "dual-use" items that has included nappies, bandages, tools, tents and other essentials.
Ongoing Violence and Urgent Appeals
Alongside the humanitarian crisis, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces demolished buildings and used artillery and gunfire in areas east of Gaza City and east of Khan Younis. An Israeli strike on a shelter for displaced Palestinians killed at least six people, according to Wafa, while the Israeli military said it was targeting "suspects." Graphic footage from the scene circulated widely.
MSF called on Israeli authorities to "urgently allow a massive scale up of aid into the Strip," emphasizing immediate needs for shelter, blankets, heating and medical supplies to prevent further child deaths and a winter health catastrophe.
Human Story
Families described desperate journeys to seek care. Eman Abu al-Khair, a displaced mother from al-Mawasi, said she found her baby Mohammed "cold as ice" after a night in a tent. Heavy rain and a lack of transport delayed their trip to hospital; they reached Red Crescent Hospital by animal-drawn cart at dawn, where Mohammed was admitted in critical condition and died two days later. "I can still hear his tiny cries in my ears," she said.
Humanitarian groups warn that without prompt changes to access and a rapid increase in shelter, heating, clothing and medical supplies, more children and infants face life-threatening cold and related illnesses.
