AMMAN —
Syrians, fleeing over a decade of war in their homeland, have found their
situation exacerbated following the onslaught of heavy winter storms. In
Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, temperatures are expected to drop lower than they
have in 40 years, reaching -14 degrees Celsius and lower, according to a press release
by
CARE International.
اضافة اعلان
Strong
winds reaching up to 80km/h, coupled with heavy hail and snow in mountainous
areas are endangering the lives of millions of people living in already
precarious circumstances.
“This is
yet another blow to people whose lives are already beyond unbearable. People
can see their own breath when lying on their thin mattresses; you will see
children walk around in flipflops and ripped shirts. Families are afraid that
they will freeze to death,” said CARE Syria Country Director Jolien Veldwijk.
In Syria, over
6.7 million people have been internally displaced, while another 6.8 million live as
refugees in neighboring countries such as Jordan,
Lebanon and
Turkey. Most
displaced people found shelter in tents, unfinished buildings, and sheds,
leaving them particularly vulnerable to harsh winter conditions.
“With
extremely low temperatures in Jordan at the moment, and the long-term impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic, winter assistance is more crucial than ever to help the
most vulnerable refugees keep a roof over their heads and their families safe
from the cold,” said CARE Jordan Country Director Ammar Abu Zayyad.
In Lebanon,
refugees live across hundreds of informal settlements, lacking adequate
protection.
“People do not
have jobs or incomes, no access to jobs. They are already suffering
consequences of an unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon and have no means
to protect themselves against the expected snowstorms,” said CARE Lebanon
Country Director Bujar Hoxha.
“CARE is
particularly concerned about the situation of displaced people inside Syria,
especially women and children. Deteriorating shelter conditions, limited fuel
supply, and the use of hazardous materials to stay warm are giving rise to
grave health and environmental impacts. During the cold winter, mothers are
usually the last ones to eat, and children are usually the first ones to
freeze,” said CARE Turkey’s Country Director Sherine Ibrahim.
CARE’s
teams across the region have been able to help many with winterization support,
including more than 86,000 people in Syria and 4,000 people in Jordan.
Across
Syria and the region, CARE is supporting displaced people with insulating their
tents, strengthening makeshift shelters, and distributing warm clothing,
blankets, and cash. Cash is particularly important for people living in
informal tent settlements to afford fuel for heating, as they are most affected
by the cold.
“This
crisis response remains severely underfunded. This year, we have only received
a fraction of the funding needed to prepare people for the winter and protect
them against the cold. Only 46 percent of the funding needed to support Syrians
is currently available. The conflict in Syria has been going on for almost 11
years, and we are afraid donors are growing tired of funding humanitarian
assistance. Unfortunately, the needs have only increased over the past years,
and right now we can see people fearing to freeze to death because desperately
needed funding is unavailable,” said Veldwijk.
While
snowfall and sub-zero temperatures are not unusual in the Middle East, climate
change has caused increased flooding and rainfall.
“Flashfloods
are simply washing away the tents and the few belongings people were able to
take when their houses were bombed. The winters are getting harsher and
deadlier, while families are less and less able to cope with freezing
temperatures,” said Veldwijik.
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