Winter storms damage refugee tents in the Bekaa Valley and Akkar, Lebanon

An estimated 70,000 Syrian refugees are at risk as freezing temperatures, snow and rain have exacerbated already challenging living conditions in Informal Tented Settlements in Lebanon.

In the Bekaa Valley and Akkar, World Vision is scaling up its response and rushing to meet needs that are making life in the camps near unbearable. As water and sewage floods into tents, families are forced to flee in extremely harsh weather conditions. We have already reached over 2,000 refugees in 28 informal tented settlements, distributing core relief items such as blankets, winter clothes, hygiene kits, and most importantly tools to support dewatering and desludging of the flooded tents and tanks.

World Vision Lebanon Operations Director Rami Shamma said, “Winters are always harsh here in Lebanon, but this year it is particularly bad. We are especially concerned for the many children that are forced to live in damaged and wet tents or are left without shelter altogether and vulnerable Lebanese families who have been affected and incurred huge losses. As we approach in March this year, the eighth anniversary of the ongoing conflict in Syria, it is devastating to witness Syrian refugees suffer yet another blow”

As even harsher weather conditions are predicted for Sunday January 13th, in the Beqaa Valley, 6 year old Taslim said: “If someone wants to help us, I will ask for shoes. I need boots. All I have is flip flops,” Taslim interrupts her father while staring down at her feet.