Syrian Coalition: Help Save the Refugees from the Cold Winter

Louay Safi, the official spokesman for the Syrian Coalition, called on the international community and the Arab countries in particular, to shoulder their responsibilities towards the Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. Safi stressed that the death of two Syrian children from the cold in Arsal camp in Lebanon and two others in Rastan and Aleppo is a disaster that the international community must respond to. “The budget of the Syrian Coalition is not enough to solve all the problems that plague the Syrians, so there must be a serious regional and Arab position regarding the snowstorm and bitter cold that threatens the Syrian refugees in the coming days,” Safi said. Ahmad Jarba, head of the Syrian Coalition called on the Gulf Cooperation Council in his speech yesterday to establish “a relief fund that enfranchise the Syrian people, and to support the seven million Syrians who are displaced at home and abroad.” In the same context, activists and fieldworkers in Zaatari and Arsal refugee camps said that “hundreds of children may die of the cold inside these camps.” Moreover, the siege of Homs entered its second year. There are more than 200 families trapped inside the city, mostly women and children who are suffering severe shortages of basic needs such as food, medicines, wool clothing, and heating materials. Activists warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in conjunction with the intensification of the cold and the snowstorm. Eyewitnesses said that the trapped civilians in Homs have been relying on water from abandoned wells for a year, which causes many digestive and intestinal diseases, especially among children. They noted that many of the diseases spread among the population and that many of the patients are in critical condition. The eyewitnesses confirmed the death of some people because of illnesses caused by malnutrition and lack of necessary medicine. Jordanian and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States stressed, during a hearing session in the Senate, the importance of increasing of international support for their countries’ governments. Ambassador of Jordan confirmed in her testimony that “Jordan now hosts more than two million Palestinian refugees, half a million Iraqis, and 1.3 million Syrian refugees.” In the same context, the Lebanese Ambassador spoke about “the dangers threating Lebanon on the social, economic and population levels.” He added that “Lebanon today hosts about 884,000 Syrian refugees. If we count those who are not registered, the figure could reach 1.3 million, or 30 percent of the population of Lebanon.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)