Temperatures below zero and 10 cm of snow. Extraordinary distribution of blankets and fuel coupons. Many camps are makeshift, made of wood and plastic sheeting .

Beirut ( AsiaNews / Agencies) - Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have been affected by the storm " Alexa " that has brought snow and sub-zero temperatures throughout the Middle East.

In Lebanon, more than 800 thousand refugees - but many say a million - spread over 200 makeshift camps are living in tents or shacks made ​​of plastic sheeting stretched over wooden frames .

In Akkar and the Bekaa , the areas bordering with Syria, yesterday the temperatures dropped below freezing making life increasingly difficult. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , the Lebanese army and the Ministry of Social Affairs have started to distribute blankets, money to buy fuel for heating and basic goods, but their efforts are not enough to meet the needs . Many refugees complain of not having enough heat and some who confess to burning even their shoes to make a little fire.

Wafik Khalaf , a member of the municipal council of Ersal , says that "water has seeped into tents raining from the roof and spreading from the ground, causing small floods ." The refugees live in the damp and mud. Because of "Alexa" , the soil around it is covered with 10 cm of snow .

Lisa Abou Khaled , a spokesman for the UNHCR expresses concern especially "for the refugees living in unauthorized, makeshift camps".

 

• lebanon
• syria
• refugees
• makeshift
• camps
• cold
• snow
• feul