The UN’s humanitarian agency, in its weekly update, noted that an eighth infant has died in Gaza due to the cold, but says child protection agencies in the enclave are facing “severe challenges” in bringing in winter clothing kits for children, Al Jazeera reports.

“These include delays in approvals by the Israeli authorities, complex procedures and customs clearance processes in Jordan, Egypt and Israel, and armed looting of aid supplies,” it said.

“For instance, for over a month, about 13,000 children’s clothing kits have been awaiting entry into Gaza from the West Bank and more than 11,000 children’s clothing kits have already been lost due to looting […] As a result, only 19,000 children’s clothing kits out of a total of 220,000 procured kits have so far entered Gaza,” it said.

These were given to vulnerable children, including newborn babies in hospitals and children in residential care, it added.