Preparations are underway as Lebanon begins the week with another battering from fierce winds and heavy rainfall, this time from storm Miriam, the Lebanese Daily Star reported.
Due to the snowy forecast, at least 847 Syrian refugees had to relocate due to damage to their shelters, while over 700 relocations were reported in the north, The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in statement.
Beginning Sunday evening, storm Miriam is expected to bring wind speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour at its peak Tuesday, according to Beirut airport’s Meteorology Department. Snow is forecast to reach 1,300 meters Sunday night before dropping to 1,200 Monday and 1,100 meters Tuesday.
The flooding, heavy winds and severe drops in temperature in Lebanon affected the spontaneous camps of Syrian refugees in the majority of the country's areas, with over 50,000 people remaining in at-risk zones, UNHCR) said.
"UNHCR and partners estimate that approximately 850 informal settlements, hosting 50,000 refugees, are at risk of flooding. The response is coordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and UNHCR, in close cooperation with affected municipalities", the report read.
On Wednesday, an 8-year-old Syrian refugee girl found dead after torrent of floodwaters swept her from a road in the northern Minyeh-Dinnieh district on Tuesday where she was playing with her sister, according to Zaman al-Wasl reporter.
Monday will witness a temperature low of 7 degrees and a high of 17 degrees on the coast, reaching lows of minus 2 degrees in the Cedars.
The storm is expected to peak Tuesday, with 100 kph winds kicking up 5 meter waves, accompanied by heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. As with storm Norma last week, the department warned citizens that strong winds could bring down billboards.
Temperatures will reach a low of 6 degrees and a high of 19 degrees Tuesday, with lows in mountainous areas expected at 3 degrees.
Tuesday’s strong winds are expected to continue into Wednesday, accompanied by light wind and rain, but will continue to subside throughout the afternoon and into Thursday.
The U.N. refugee agency announced that emergency stocks and sanitation supplies were replenished in anticipation of the new storm, while teams are monitoring family separation cases to ensure children are protected during possible evacuations.
The UNHCR reported that at least 22,500 refugees at 570 camps and informal settlements were affected by severe flooding and heavy snow brought by storm Norma last week.
(Zaman Al Wasl, The Daily Star)
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