Impoverished Lebanese, Syrians struggle to survive cold

Impoverished Lebanese, Syrians struggle to survive cold

Beirut: A snowstorm in the Middle East has left many Lebanese and Syrians scrambling to find ways to survive, burning old clothes, plastic and in some cases even sheep manure to keep warm as temperatures plummet and poverty soars. The storm, dubbed “Hiba” in Lebanon, began Tuesday night and is expected to peak on Thursday. The small Mediterranean country’s massive economic collapse and currency crash has meant an increasing number of Lebanese families are not able to afford fuel to heat their homes this winter. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan as well as others who were displaced by Syria’s war are sheltering in poorly heated tents relying mostly on layers of blankets to keep warm. “The situation is very, very difficult,” said social activist Baseem Atrash, speaking from the snowcapped northeastern Lebanese town of Arsal near the Syrian border. Arsal is home to one of the largest Syrian refugee concentrations in Lebanon, with some 50,000 people, most of them living in flimsy tents. Atrash said Syrian refugees, as well as some Lebanese who have fallen into poverty since the country’s financial meltdown began in October 2019, lack diesel for heaters, while constant power cuts make