Six Palestinian children have died from hypothermia in Gaza this winter, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday (13 January). The agency warned that more than 100 children have been killed since a ceasefire took effect in early October, 2025.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said the deaths from cold exposure had occurred in recent days amid harsh winter conditions and ongoing humanitarian restrictions, speaking to reporters in Geneva via video link from Gaza.
The spokesperson added that “life in Gaza remains suffocating” and that “survival remains conditional”.
“That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire,” he added.
He said the confirmed victims included around 60 boys and approximately 40 girls.
Nearly all of the recorded child deaths since October were caused by military action, including air strikes, drone strikes (including quadcopters) tank shelling and gunfire according to officials. A smaller number of children were killed by unexploded remnants of war, UNICEF said.
Spokesperson Elder stressed that the figures are likely an underestimate, as they only reflect cases where sufficient details were available to verify the deaths.
“While the bombings and the shootings have slowed during the ceasefire, they have not stopped,” he said, warning that what is being described as “calm” would constitute a crisis in most other contexts.
However, UNICEF said the ceasefire has allowed limited but tangible humanitarian gains, including the expansion of primary healthcare and immunisation services, the reopening and addition of nutrition facilities to treat and prevent malnutrition, and urgent repairs to damaged water, sanitation and sewerage systems across Gaza.
According to the agency, these efforts have included restoring water pipelines and pumping stations, increasing waste removal, and distributing winter supplies such as thermal blankets and clothing, helping to avert famine and disease outbreaks.
Severe restrictions remain on essential supplies, including medical items, fuel, cooking gas and equipment needed for water and sanitation infrastructure, leaving conditions for children “unimaginably hard” after more than two years of war.
The current Gaza conflict stems from a broader war that began in October 2023 following a large‑scale attack by Hamas on Israel, triggering an extensive Israeli military offensive in the Strip.
After more than two years of intense hostilities and devastation, a U.S.‑brokered ceasefire agreement took effect on 10 October 2025 between Israel and Hamas, aiming to pause fighting and allow humanitarian access.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, acc...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citi...
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue se...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has shared an article by his special envoy Steve Witkoff, marking one year since Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint declaration aimed at advancing a peace agreement between the two countries.
Black Sea Petroleum (BSP), the company behind Georgia's Kulevi plant on the Black Sea coast, has announced that as of 23 August, the refinery is processing exclusively non-Russian oil.
Georgia's economy grew by eight per cent in July, and if you're wondering what's behind the surge, the answer is the same one that's been doing the heavy lifting all year: oil.
Russia’s Rosatom and Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants have signed a contract to build two units at the Balkhash nuclear power plant, with a combined capacity of 2.4 gigawatts.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment