Photo courtesy of UNHCR/A.McConnell
Middle East – On Jan. 7, thousands of refugee families huddled together in their tents and scrap-material homes during a rare and harsh snowstorm in the Middle East.
Israel, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon have been hit the worst, according to The Weather Channel. During the storm, a Syrian man, Ammar Kamel, and a 7-year-old boy, Majed Badawi, died after facing temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit while hiking across the Syrian and Lebanon border.
Global Aid Network (GAiN), the humanitarian arm of Cru, is working with refugees traumatized by the severe storm who are continuing to suffer by building relationships and showing the love of God while distributing supplies fairly and equally.
Currently, GAiN is collecting funds for basic needs like food, clothing and medical supplies. They also are in need of donations to provide tents sturdy enough to hold up against the rest of the winter. Each tent will be equipped with a heater.
At least three people were injured in the storm, and thousands were left without power, according to The Weather Channel. Roads were cut off and access into refugee camps became nearly impossible.
Mohammed al-Hussein, a refugee in an east Lebanon camp, told DailyMail.com, “I’ve been a refugee here for two years, but this is the worst winter I’ve seen.”
Refugees in Syria had to use brooms and sticks to scrape snow off their tents, fearing they might cave in under the weight, according to The State.
Prior to the storm, United Nations Refugee Agency gave out cash and fuel coupons to over 80,000 refugee families in Lebanon. However, “There is a lack of food and heating materials. We are asking charities to intervene,” a refugee said to DailyMail.com.
Can you show the love of God to families by giving them warmth and food?
©1994-2020 Cru. All Rights Reserved.
