Faced with a harsh winter, “the Gaza Strip has been brought back to the Stone Age” – Libération

While several infants have died due to the cold in the Palestinian enclave, the season worsens the deplorable conditions in which the population lives, warns Jean-François Corty, president of Médecins du monde.

The inhabitants of the Gaza Strip were already having to endure bombardments, deprivation and incessant displacement. They now face the relentless cold of winter which is hitting the Palestinian enclave. With the vast majority of the population forced to live in makeshift shelters made of plastic sheeting or blankets, civilian authorities in Gaza say six infants have died in recent weeks. “due to the cold”. For Jean-François Corty, president of the NGO Médecins du monde, which provides medical consultations in the center of the Gaza Strip, the combination of these factors risks leading to “an alarming excess mortality”.

What is the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave with the arrival of winter?

The situation remains dramatic. The Gaza Strip has become a territory hostile to all forms of life. Humanitarian aid, already insufficient, is struggling to enter the territory. The Israeli authorities are blocking the entry of aid proportionate to needs. With the arrival of the rains, some areas are flooded, further worsening living conditions. More than a million people live in tents or plastic sheeting, exposed to the cold and bad weather. Do