UN refugee agency races to help refugees endure storm across Middle East

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) - The staff of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been working around the clock this week to help millions of refugees and internally displaced people endure a severe winter storm that has been sweeping across much of the Middle East, a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday.

"Forecasts say cold weather is set to continue over the next few days, with heavy snowfall at higher elevations and gale force winds," deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said at a daily news briefing.

"Despite the severity of the storm, UNHCR offices around the region have so far reported relatively little damage in most refugee communities," said Haq. "But flooding is already a problem in some lower-lying areas, and will become more serious once the snow begins melting at higher elevations."

Refugee agency teams and partners have raced against time over the past few days to replace damaged tents, provide repair kits, deliver emergency supplies and offer alternative temporary shelter for those forced to abandon their homes, he said.

UNHCR is particularly concerned about the situation in Lebanon, where many refugees in more than 1,700 settlements live in precarious situations, he said. "There have been reports of more than 100 shelters and tents damaged across the country."

On Wednesday, powerful winter storms and torrential rain have swept through the Middle East and North Africa region, killing three people, including two children, forcing the closure of access routes and sparking traffic chaos across the region.

Dubbed "Huda" or "Zina," the wintry weather has disrupted everyday life in the region, and particularly caused an even deeper humanitarian crisis for Syrian refugees scattered across the neighboring countries.

The storm dumped rain and hail on Lebanon's coast and heavy snows in the mountains and central Bekaa Valley, where gas stations, banks, schools and most shops closed. The storm proved particularly trying for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who live in tents and makeshift shelters in the Bekaa.