With snow falling in Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, refugees and internally displaced persons are struggling to keep warm.
Om Ali is one of thousands of women who escaped the conflict in Syria.
She was living in a village in north western Syria before she fled to Abed Al Rahman camp, near the Turkish-Syrian border.
She, her husband and their eight children had become more and more worried about their safety in their home as every day their heard the sounds of conflict getting nearer.
Om Ali and her family have now been living in the camp for two years and remain unable to find work. They are reliant on aid. With overnight temperatures in Syria reaching -3C (26F), and snow already settling, families like hers are struggling to keep warm.
Desperate need
Om Ali and her family badly need heaters and warm blankets.
“We critically need heaters, clothes, shoes, and a new tent to help us overcome the bad weather conditions. We’re worried about our children. How can they stay warm? We’re worried that they will suffer in the severe cold.”
In Lebanon, the first weeks of January have brought hail, rain, strong winds and snow. Islamic Relief Lebanon has already distributed hundreds of blankets, mattresses, carpets, heaters and fuel to families and is helping repair shelters that were badly damaged in the strong winds, but the country has now been hit by a snow blizzard.
Last winter, 2.3 million registered refugees struggled with heavy snowfall. In the last year, the number of registered refugees has grown to 3.3 million. Many travelled on foot bringing only what they could carry and so are unprepared for winter.
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