No Shelter from the Cold in Lebanon

The Syria conflict, which has entered its third winter of war, has seen the displacement of over half of the Palestine refugees in Syria, or about 270,000 children, women and men.  An additional 80,000 have fled to neighbouring countries, including Lebanon. For many, this is the second and even third time of displacement in their lifetime.

In Lebanon, some 51,000 Palestine refugees from Syria were counted at the end of November 2013. Over half of these refugees are sheltering in the 12 already over crowded Palestine refugee camps in the country. The rest find shelter where they can, in apartments for rent, garages or under a staircase.  The hardship of the Palestine refugees from Syria is compounded by the existing legal and social vulnerabilities of other Palestine refugees in the country.  Following three years of persistent conflict and deteriorating economic conditions in Syria, their resilience is severely challenged. 

For most of them in the circumstances, UNRWA is the only lifeline.  To alleviate the suffering of these Palestine refugees from Syria, UNRWA provides urgent humanitarian assistance in the form of food, cash, household and winterization items, as well as education and health services. 

The photo essays documents the living conditions of some of the Palestine refugees in Lebanon faced by the harsh onset of winter and the hardships they face. Read more about the situation of Palestine refugees in Lebanon  - and to find out how you can help #GiveWrap this winter