“A three-day-old baby and another baby, less than a month old, both died after a severe temperature drop,” he said.
“This is due to the fact that they live in tents,” added the doctor, referring to Palestinians displaced by the more than 14-month war in Gaza who have sought shelter in makeshift camps, many in the coastal Khan Yunis area.
“The tents do not protect from the cold, and it gets very cold at night, with no way to keep warm,” said Farra.
The risk to newborns is particularly acute, he added, as many mothers suffer malnutrition affecting the quality of the milk their babies feed on.
The deceased three-week-old girl, Sila al-Faseeh, lived in the Al-Mawasi tent city, on the Mediterranean coast near Khan Younis.
