Gaza’s Health Ministry says nine-month-old Kinan Ahmed Arqiq is its first cold-related fatality of the winter, as recent rains flooded and damaged thousands of shelters.
The ministry reported a sharp drop in Arqiq’s body temperature, while a forensic examination separately confirmed severe hypothermia. A transfer from Kuwaiti Hospital brought Arqiq to Nasser Medical Complex on Thursday, where he was already dead, according to the ministry. During the 2025 winter season, the ministry counted 10 deaths from cold exposure in Gaza.
Flooding during rains from Nov. 6-8 damaged thousands of tents and makeshift shelters, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. OCHA estimated that about 1.4 million people, 65% of Gaza’s population, were living in tents or temporary shelters.
Palestinian Social Development Minister Samah Hamad said Nov. 9 that more than 300,000 families lacked adequate protection from cold and rain, in a warning about Gaza’s winter shelter needs.
