In December, Gaza’s cold climate led to the death of a 29-day-old premature baby, Saeed, at Nasser Hospital, underscoring urgent shelter needs amid storm damage and limited aid.
As temperatures dropped, the family’s nylon tent offered little protection. Each night, father Eseid Abdeen wrapped the fragile infant in four blankets and used a flashlight to check his eyes for signs of life.
Rawya Abdeen said, “I always feared for him and tried to keep him warm. But it is very cold,” she told the Associated Press on Thursday. When doctors reported Saeed’s death, her screams of anguish drew neighbors. “Why him?” she cried.
At about 10 p.m., when the light shone on Saeed’s face, he failed to squint as he normally did, and the family noticed he was vomiting.
Concerned, the Abdeens rushed the baby to Nasser Hospital, where doctors began emergency care immediately. The infant arrived late Wednesday night with a body temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), well below the threshold for hypothermia.
Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, director of pediatrics at Nasser, said, “The baby arrived at the hospital late Wednesday night with a body temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), well below the threshold for hypothermia. Medics did everything they could to revive the child, but he died early Thursday.”
Despite intensive resuscitation, Saeed did not survive. The loss marks the second premature baby to die of hypothermia at the hospital in recent days.
Dr. al-Farra warned that similar tragedies could recur unless there is a permanent solution for infants, particularly those born prematurely. He noted that these babies are more vulnerable because their fat tissues are underdeveloped and they lose energy quickly.
Overnight temperatures in Gaza have reached 6 degrees Celsius (43 Fahrenheit) in recent days, exacerbating the risk for vulnerable newborns.
The infant’s death brings the total number of people killed in Gaza since a strong storm hit the strip last week to 13. The health ministry reported 11 deaths from heavy rains that collapsed already damaged buildings, plus the two children who died from cold.
The first baby lost to hypothermia, a two-week-old named Mohamed Khair, was born after a full-term pregnancy. His death, along with Saeed’s, highlights the severe impact of extreme weather on Gaza’s fragile population.
Although a ceasefire has been in place for two months, aid groups say that not enough shelter materials have entered Gaza. Recently released Israeli military figures suggest the ceasefire’s stipulation of allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day has not been met, though Israel disputes that finding.
American officials with the U.S.-led center coordinating aid shipments into Gaza also say deliveries have reached the agreed-upon levels. The discrepancy underscores the complexity of humanitarian logistics in the region.
Most of Gaza’s 2 million displaced residents live in tent camps along the coast or in the shells of damaged buildings. These structures lack adequate flooding infrastructure, and people often use cesspits dug near tents as toilets.
The Abdeens’ makeshift tent, located in southern Gaza’s Muwasi, is regularly inundated by rainwater. Rawya Abdeen recalled that her son weighed just 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds) at birth and spent two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit before the fatal incident.
When the father shone a light on Saeed at around 10 p.m. Wednesday, the baby did not respond with his usual squint. The family rushed him to the hospital, but the doctors called in the morning to inform them the infant had perished.
Father Eseid Abdeen said, “I was willing to trade my soul to save him,” reflecting the desperation and grief of parents facing harsh living conditions.
Key Takeaways
- Saeed, a 29-day-old premature infant, died of hypothermia at Nasser Hospital amid extreme cold.
- The death is the second such case in recent days, raising alarms about inadequate shelter for newborns.
- The incident occurs against a backdrop of storm damage, limited aid deliveries, and widespread tent-camp living conditions.
The tragedy underscores the urgent need for improved shelter infrastructure and consistent humanitarian aid to protect the most vulnerable residents of Gaza.
