The number of babies dying from the cold in the Gaza enclave has climbed in recent days as harsh winter weather adds to the apocalyptic conditions suffered by the millions of Palestinians displaced by Israel’s bombardment and besiegement.
Most of the enclave’s population has been forcibly displaced and thousands of tents have flooded due to heavy rains in recent days.Â
With the cold conditions expected to remain amid Israel’s unrelenting siege, the lives of more newborns will likely be cut short in the coming days.
Hypothermia: What is it?
Hypothermia is a dangerous reduction in body temperature and is considered a medical emergency.
People are mildly hypothermic when their core body temperature drops below 35C (95F). Anything below 28C is considered severe hypothermia.
Conditions do not need to be freezing to trigger hypothermia. A person’s body temperature can drop even in mildly cold conditions if they’re exposed to wind or cold water.
Babies are at far higher risk of getting hypothermia because their bodies lose heat more quickly than adults.
Their smaller bodies lose more heat and can’t produce it as quickly, meaning their temperatures can rapidly drop.
Though winters in Gaza aren’t particularly cold, the recent rain and falling temperatures have been devastating for the millions across the enclave who are living without proper shelter.
Thousands of tents have been flooded, and with Israel’s siege severely limiting access to fuel, electricity, and clothing, the vulnerability of Gazan children to hypothermia has sharply increased.
Hypothermia is prevetable
Israel’s prevention of aid entry into the besieged enclave has exacerbated starvation conditions in Gaza and increased the risk of more babies dying from the cold.
Children suffering from acute hunger are more vulnerable to cold because they lack the energy to produce the heat needed to keep their body temperatures stable.
Gaza currently has the highest rates of child hunger in the world due to Israel’s siege, with Save the Children reporting in October that almost 25 percent of children under five were suffering from acute malnutrition.
Hypothermia can be reversed by moving the person to a warm location and providing them with dry clothes and blankets. Severe cases require medical treatment and specialist equipment.
Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid and the poor living conditions in the camps has severely limited access to dry clothes and warm environments for displaced Gazans.
Meanwhile, the destruction of the healthcare system has made it almost impossible for children suffering from hypothermia to receive medical attention, with almost all of the enclave’s hospitals now no longer functional.
