As storm hits Mideast, refugees bear brunt

(Reuters) - A storm buffeted the Middle East with blizzards, rain and strong winds on Wednesday, keeping people at home across much of the region and raising concerns for Syrian refugees facing freezing temperatures in flimsy shelters.

Snowfall and gales in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley destroyed some refugee tents. "There's no firewood, no diesel," said Ali Eshtawi, a refugee from Homs who spoke by phone from a camp near the Syrian border where he said snow had caused three tents to collapse, leaving 19 people without shelter.

The storm is forecast to last several days, threatening further disruption in Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which have all been affected.

A 35-year old Syrian shepherd and an eight-year old boy with him died in the storm in the mountainous area between Lebanon and Syria, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
Snow blocked roads in the Bekaa Valley, where more than 400,000 Syrian refugees are sheltering.

"We are worried that tents will be flooded. Refugees who don't have proper access to clean water or can't store drinking water will be in severe difficulties if we don't reach them in the next two days," Lauriane Gauny, program manager in the Bekaa Valley with the aid agency Oxfam told Reuters.

Transport was disrupted across the region: Israeli police closed the main highways to Jerusalem intermittently, while Beirut airport was briefly closed on Tuesday night.  Read More

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