Israel´s ongoing war on Gaza has forcibly displaced over 1.9 million people, leaving families to endure winter in fragile, makeshift tents with minimal protection from the cold. Children are especially vulnerable to various health risks as temperatures are dropping, and families continue to lack proper access to essential items such as water, food, and warm shelter. Most families cannot afford heating materials, including firewood, gas, or even warm blankets, which can cost up to $200, when available in local Gazan markets.

At the MSF-supported pediatric department of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the impact of the humanitarian catastrophe on children's health is evident. MSF teams in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are treating children with respiratory infections, dehydration, and premature newborns with complications - – conditions that can be life threatening to newborns and premature babies. The health needs of children are so high that the NICU has been operating beyond its bed capacity for over three months. Over a quarter of the patients in the department are admitted for respiratory distress syndrome, a condition that can present in premature infants, making them even more vulnerable in dire living conditions many face in Gaza.