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".