Another child dies in extreme conditions in Gaza: UNICEF

In a statement, the agency identified the latest victim as seven-year-old Ata Mai; he drowned on 27 December during severe flooding in an improvised camp for internally displaced people in Sudaniyeh, northwest Gaza City. 

He was just the latest child in Gaza to succumb amid “extreme winter conditions and lack of safe shelters”, said UNICEF’s Edouard Beigbeder, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Teams visiting displacement camps reported appalling conditions that no child should endure, with many tents blown away or collapsing entirely,” he said.

Desperate search

Information indicates that Ata had been living in a camp of some 40 tents when he went missing one afternoon. Despite search and rescue efforts supported by heavy machinery, his body was only recovered hours later. 

The UN agency noted that Ata’s siblings “are all under 10 years old…the family had already endured the loss of their mother during the war. UNICEF is currently supporting the family with essential aid, including blankets, tarpaulins, and psychosocial support, while assessing their broader needs”.

In addition to Ata Mai, at least five other children have lost their lives this month “after being exposed to such harsh conditions”, Mr. Beigbeder said.

Specifically, internally displaced families who have been sheltering in worn-out tents or makeshift shelters have faced prolonged rains, strong winds and freezing temperatures. Aid teams have repeatedly flagged the dangers for underfed youngsters and other vulnerable Gazans whose tents have been flooded time and again.

“This tragedy underscores the extreme vulnerability of children in Gaza’s hardest-hit areas, where the near-total destruction of homes and water and sewage infrastructure has left families exposed to the elements,” UNICEF said. 

The development comes after a week of heavy rainfall, strong winds and freezing temperatures that have affected around 100,000 families.

With further rain and colder conditions forecast, the situation is expected to worsen. 

Saving lives

Working alongside aid partners, UNICEF provides critical support to thousands of affected families. This vital work includes: 

• installing temporary water pipelines,
• distributing hygiene items, tarpaulins, blankets and dignity kits,
• ensuring access to latrines,
• working to clean and reopen sewage pipelines, clear stormwater inlets and protect tents from flooding.

UNICEF warned that heavy rains are making the situation worse by driving up fuel needs for sewage pumping and stormwater drainage. Water levels at the Sheikh Radwan lagoon have risen from 1.8 to 2.2 metres, requiring 7,000 litres of fuel per day to prevent overflow.