国际英语新闻:Spotlight: Around 8,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon hit hard by storm: UN refugee official

BEIRUT, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Lisa Abou Khaled said Wednesday that 150 camps hosting about 8,000 Syrian refugees were affected by the storm that started Sunday in Lebanon.

"Around 66 camps were heavily affected by the storm in Lebanon while 15 were completely destroyed, and 850 camps are at high risk of flooding," she said.

Khaled told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that UNHCR's winter program for the support of Syrian refugees has started in November with a target to help 166,000 families, or over 650,000 refugees, with a monthly financial support of 75 U.S. dollars per family for them to buy basic needs of diesel, clothes and food.

She explained that UNHCR's winter support program takes place in addition to another one by the agency where 30,000 extremely poor families receive 173 dollars per family every month.

However, some of the Syrian refugees in the Bekaa region said that they are not receiving any support by the international community.

"Our tents are full of water. We are suffering tremendously and nobody offered us any help or support so far," said Taha Aldouri, a Syrian refugee.

Aldouri said that he does not even have any heating system and his family is wrapped with blankets all day long to warm up.

Ahmad Ibrahim, another Syrian refugee, said that the camps in Bar Elias are flooded with rainwater.

"It's been raining for four days and we do not know what to do. Our kids are suffering," he said.

This is not the first time that Syrian refugees suffer from cold weather and floods due to heavy rain.

Last month, around 300 Syrian refugees were evacuated from their camps in Akkar to other neighboring camps after being flooded with rainwater.

Khaled commented on refugees' complaints, saying that "most refugees" are receiving humanitarian support in Lebanon, and the UNHCR is trying to meet all refugees' needs which is not an easy task.

"It took us time to reach these people," she said, adding that UNHCR is working with Lebanese authorities to focus on people who have their tents completely destroyed in a bid to move them to other places.

"Lots of these refugees are living in very bad conditions, and I understand when they say they do not receive enough help," she said.

Khaled noted that the UNHCR's program will continue until March, and the World Food Programme is also assisting more than 70 percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon by distributing food.

A report issued on Jan. 7 by the UNHCR showed that the agency, in cooperation with other humanitarian agencies, has been distributing Core Relief Items, including blankets and mattresses, clothes and drainage kits, all over Lebanon.

More than 1 million Syrian refugees have registered with the UNHCR in Lebanon, while the government estimates the true number of Syrians in Lebanon at 1.5 million.