Charity pleas for refugees after winter storms hit Lebanon

World Vision says storms, snow and flooding have lefts many refugees exposed to the elements in Lebanon. 

The charity’s Operations Director for Lebanon, Rami Shamma, says sub-zero temperatures at night time  have increased the suffering of refugees from the conflict in Syria.

“They’re living in severe, hard conditions. You’d only anticipate that such storms and such severe winter weather would lead to casualties.”

World Vision estimate that there are up to 1.5 million refugees living in Lebanon. The country’s population was previously only 4.5 million and so the number of refugees is putting a strain on the country’s resources and infrastructure.

For Rami Shamma it’s the scale of individual human suffering that need to be brought to the world’s attention.

“Imagine a person who has been living in a tent for the past eight years, you would get half a metre of water in your tent. 

“You either freeze to death because of the cold weather or you actually have to search for a relocation to another place temporarily.”

World Vision workers are seeking to bring aid to the refugee camps which have been worst hit by the extreme weather. Rami Shamma is appealing to Christians in the UK to pray for the Syrian refugees.

“In the last weeks we have had about 70,000 refugees who were at risk. The people are still in need and there are still people who…