The number of Syrians who have taken refuge in Lebanon has exceeded 160,000 following the airstrikes on Yarmouk Camp in Syria last week.
Thousands of refugees, most of whom are women and children, in the Valley Halid, Tripoli in the north, Ersal and Baalbek (in the Bekaa Valley) in the east and Sabra and Shatila in Beirut, are giving a life struggle under very difficult circumstances.
IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation Emergency Aid Coordinator Recep Güzel, who coordinates the relief efforts in the region, shared his observations about the latest situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
According to Güzel, Syrian refugees particularly those in the Bekaa Valley are giving a struggle against harsh winter conditions and hunger. Although locals, with limited means, try to extend a helping hand to the Syrians who took refuge in Ersal, Valley Halid and Tripoli, the needs of the refugees cannot be completely met. The refugees in the Bekaa Valley receive nearly no aid.
Needs of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon for accommodation, food and healthcare increase further every passing day. If the necessary aid is not dispatched to the refugees, there are fears about the outbreak of epidemics with the deterioration of weather circumstances in the upcoming days that will put the lives of the children in particular at risk.
Güzel, who is in Lebanon to take IHH’s aid to the refugees, noted that more large-scale relief projects need to be developed to meet the needs of the Syrian refugees.
