(Zaman Al Wasl)- A new snowstorm in two weeks is sweeping Syrian refugee camps in Lebanese Bekaa valley and border town of Arsal, forecasts said Monday.
More than 1 million Syrians are enduring another winter as refugees in Lebanon. For some, it is their fifth in a row, displaced by a war that has driven 4.4 million Syrians into neighboring states from where many are trying to reach Europe.
The winter brings other problems, too. Refugees in remote areas stranded by snow cannot reach shops to buy food and water.
"Clean water freezes in the tanks, sanitation becomes an issue, and diseases can spread more easily," said Fran Beyrtison, Lebanon representative of aid agency Oxfam.
"Lebanon and the UN recently issued an appeal to help up to 2.9 million vulnerable people. The international community needs to fund this appeal urgently to allow aid to reach people in need," she said. The appeal, for $2.5 billion, includes vulnerable Lebanese in addition to Syrian refugees.
UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, has provided support including stoves, blankets, mattresses and "insulation kits" that include insulating foam and timber, though these are designed for refugees living in larger buildings, said Dana Sleiman, UNHCR spokeswoman in Lebanon. (With Reuters)
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