UNITED NATIONS, Jan 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The United Nations and partners are helping more than one million displaced people suffering severe winter weather, in settlements in northern Syria, UN humanitarians said yesterday.
Snow, cold rain and severe winter weather across the north are compounding the misery of people already struggling with conflict, mass displacement and economic crisis, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Some 1.7 million displaced people living in more than 1,400 camps and other informal settlements across the Northwest suffer the most from the severe weather. Since Tuesday, heavy snow has hit more than 100,000 displaced people in 85 sites, said the office.
More than 1,000 tents were damaged or destroyed. Heavy snow collapsing tent roofs expose women, children and the elderly to the cold. One child was killed and the mother was critically injured in such an accident, OCHA said.
Heavy rainfall caused misery in hundreds of sites, hosting more than 150,000 people, it added.
The most pressing needs include opening access roads to displacement sites, relocating people to safer shelters, replacing destroyed tents, and providing food and other essential assistance.
In preparing for the winter response, before the latest onslaught, the United Nations identified 2.2 million people needing winterisation assistance. But a lack of resources means that only half of the people have received relief, said OCHA.
The world organisation calls for continued support to meet the humanitarian needs of millions of vulnerable people throughout the country, the office said.– NNN-AGENCIES
