Imagine having to survive the winter season without a home, proper clothing, or even food. Can you imagine enduring eight years of cold weather like that? Imagine fleeing a war only to have your life threatened by intense weather conditions. So many have fled the war with only their most precious possessions only to see them destroyed by rains and flooding.
For Syrian refugees, this is their reality. They have endured eight years of harsh winters. In countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, they live in camps made of paper-thin tents. During the winter season, these areas experience plummeting temperatures and freezing rains. Refugees live in constant fear of snow collapsing the roofs of their makeshift tents.
Without wood or fuel for warmth, Syrian refugees have had to burn garbage that children collect from the camps. Out of desperation, some have even resorted to burning clothing. Using these alternative sources of fuel are toxic and will harm them, but they need to stay warm. This winter season has already proven to be a deadly one. An 8-year-old Syrian refugee died after she fell into a river during one of these brutal storms.
Here is a first-hand account from Syrian refugees in Lebanon about the challenges they face this season: