A seven-year-old boy has died after drowning during severe flooding at a displacement camp in northern Gaza, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis faced by children amid harsh winter conditions and widespread displacement.
In a statement, UNICEF identified the child as Ata Mai, who drowned on December 27 in an improvised camp for internally displaced people in Sudaniyeh, northwest of Gaza City.
Child deaths rise amid extreme winter conditions
UNICEF said Ata was the latest child to lose his life due to “extreme winter conditions and lack of safe shelters” in Gaza. Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, described the conditions in displacement camps as “appalling”.
“Teams visiting displacement camps reported conditions that no child should endure, with many tents blown away or collapsing entirely,” he said.
According to UNICEF, Ata lived in a camp of around 40 tents. He went missing one afternoon during heavy flooding, and despite search and rescue efforts supported by heavy machinery, his body was recovered only hours later.
Family already devastated by war
UNICEF noted that Ata’s siblings are all under the age of 10 and that the family had already lost their mother during the ongoing conflict. The agency is currently supporting the family with essential relief, including blankets, tarpaulins and psychosocial support, while assessing further needs.
At least five other children have died in Gaza this month after exposure to severe cold, flooding and unsafe shelter conditions, UNICEF said.
Over 1.9 million displaced, shelters overwhelmed
Across Gaza, shelter needs remain acute, with more than 1.9 million people displaced. Many families are living in worn-out tents or makeshift shelters that offer little protection against prolonged rain, strong winds and freezing temperatures.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed fresh flash flooding caused by recent storms, affecting low-lying and coastal areas. Seawater has again inundated tents in parts of Khan Younis, rendering shelters uninhabitable and forcing families to move repeatedly.
Since early December, at least 18 residential buildings have collapsed, while more than 110 others have suffered dangerous structural damage, posing risks to thousands of residents.
Aid operations under threat
UN agencies have warned that humanitarian efforts could face major disruption, with dozens of international aid organisations at risk of losing permission to operate under Israel’s new registration system.
UNICEF stressed that without urgent action to improve shelter, water and sanitation access, children in Gaza will remain at extreme risk as colder and wetter conditions continue.