Displacement camps turn into graveyards as cold-related deaths rise in Gaza

The Gaza Strip has recorded a new increase in the number of deaths caused by severe cold in forced displacement camps, amid Israel’s ongoing genocide, blockade and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Gaza sees rise in cold-related deaths

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced on Sunday 11 January 2026 that the number of cold-related deaths since the start of the genocide has reached 21, all of whom are displaced persons, including 18 children.

The office explained that the camps lack the minimum necessities for life: there is no safe shelter or heating, and there is a severe shortage of blankets and winter clothing, in addition to ongoing restrictions on the delivery of adequate humanitarian aid. It noted that four deaths from cold weather have been recorded since the start of this winter, underscoring the severity of the situation as conditions intensify.

This announcement coincided with warnings of upcoming low-pressure systems accompanied by waves of frost and severe cold, which could lead to an increase in the number of victims, especially among children, sick, and older people, if the current humanitarian situation continues without urgent intervention.

The Government Media Office held the Israeli occupation fully and directly responsible for these deaths, considering them a direct result of its policies of destruction, displacement and siege. It called on the international community, the United Nations and humanitarian organisations to take immediate action to provide safe shelters and to allow the unrestricted entry of heating and relief supplies, in order to prevent the humanitarian disaster in the Strip from worsening.

Featured image via the Canary