The representatives of QRCS are providing humanitarian aid to storm-affected Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
In response to Storm Norma, Qatar Red Crescent Society’s (QRCS) mission in Lebanon has helped the affected Syrian refugees at the shelter camps of Arsal Town, 124 km northeast of Beirut.
From day one, QRCS’s relief personnel started distributing blankets and tarpaulin sheets to the neediest families stuck in snow. So far, 443 blankets and 444 tarpaulins have been distributed at three shelter camps, which are not snow-proof.
These distributions benefited 444 Syrian families, or 2,220 persons. As the storm built up, the team received appeals to help the affected families in other four shelter camps. They could save 12 families whose tents collapsed, including one that caught an electrical fire. The damaged tents were re-erected with wood structures and tarpaulins, and blankets were distributed.
Other fragile tents were taken down by the fierce wind, but QRCS relief workers managed the situation, so that the families will not stay homeless in the open air. Overall, these activities reached out to 114 families comprising of 570 persons, as well as some nearby schools and mosques.
Over the past few days, Storm Norma has swept through Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, resulting in heavy rainfall and snowfall on uplands. Amid temperatures below zero, the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and neighbors stand helpless in the face of the harsh winter.
QRCS works hard to help the victims of the 8-year Syrian conflict, stretching its humanitarian wings for the vulnerable in Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq. Recently, diverse humanitarian aid was provided for the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama.
