In the bleak mid-winterIn the bleak mid-winterIn the bleak mid-winterIn the bleak mid-winter
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • How we work
  • What we do
    • Beirut explosion response
    • Covid-19 response
    • Basic needs
    • Education & Child Protection
    • Livelihoods
  • News
    • Blog posts
    • Press review
    • They talk about us
    • Sign up
  • Get involved
    • Pray
    • Donate
    • Raise awareness
    • Contact us
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • How we work
  • What we do
    • Beirut explosion response
    • Covid-19 response
    • Basic needs
    • Education & Child Protection
    • Livelihoods
  • News
    • Blog posts
    • Press review
    • They talk about us
    • Sign up
  • Get involved
    • Pray
    • Donate
    • Raise awareness
    • Contact us
Quarterly highlights – Q4 2018
January 4, 2019
Journey of a mother
March 21, 2019

In the bleak mid-winter

March 8, 2019
Categories
  • Basic needs
Tags
  • internally displaced
  • Lebanon
  • local communities
  • refugees
  • relief
  • Syria
  • winter assistance

In 2018-2019, Lebanon and Syria went through one of the harshest winters in many years as they were hit by intense storms, heavy rain, and snowfall leading to floods and freezing temperatures that severely affected numerous families living in makeshift settlements and poorly insulated dwellings. Our partners on the ground were needed more than ever and the winter items they distributed made an even bigger difference in the lives of thousands of households.

Facing the harshest winter in many years 

This winter in Lebanon, heavy rainfall, snow, high winds, and flooding from two large storms resulted in one death, the evacuation or displacement of almost 2,000 refugees, and adversely affected more than 25,600 refugees across over 630 informal settlements in Lebanon.[1] Many refugees had to temporarily move, although many preferred to stay in sites that were fully flooded and wait until water levels receded, citing fears of not being able to return later.
In Syria, internally displaced and extremely vulnerable Syrian families had to shiver their way through the first two weeks of 2019 as excessive rainfall, snow and freezing temperatures swept across the country.  Long hours of electricity cut-offs and low fuel supplies also added to the suffering of thousands of families.

 

Making an even bigger difference 

 
MERATH’s support for its local partners enabled families to stay sufficiently warm in the face of the bitter cold.
Mohaned, Fadia, and their five children have lived in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for the past three years.
Their means of survival is the assistance they receive from our church partner, as Mohaned cannot work due to a disability that causes him to have severe headaches, especially during extreme hot or cold temperatures. 

This winter was way harsher than the previous ones. My family and I had to sleep on the floor of our tent with a few old blankets until the local church gave us eight new blankets and four mattresses.

Our local partners in Lebanon provided thousands of households like Mohaned’s with around 5,000 blankets, 2,500 mattresses and fuel vouchers, 2,000 boots, coats, socks or sweaters, and 130 heaters. In addition, our local partners in Syria distributed more than 2,300 blankets, nearly 1,000 cash stipends for fuel and warm clothes, 150 heaters, and coats and boots to vulnerable families.
We hope and pray that the next winter will be more lenient, but we need your prayers now and help to ensure a timely and harmonized response to the needs of affected individuals in case of a similar crisis. As huge as the needs are, even a small contribution makes a big difference in the life of one family. 

 

HELP MORE FAMILIES STAY WARM DURING HARSH WINTERS

> Learn more about our basic needs activities

> Check out our annual report!

> Contact us

Donate

 
[1] Humanitarian Bulletin Lebanon Issue 34 | 1 November 2018 – 25 February 2019, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/humanitarian-bulletin-lebanon-issue-34-1-november-2018-25-february-2019-enar

Share
12

Related posts

November 2, 2022

Quarterly highlights – Q3 2022


Read more
November 1, 2022

Winter in the time of Cholera


Read more
October 20, 2022

A part of us died last winter


Read more

Comments are closed.

Search

Our mission

Through local partners, MERATH implements relief and development projects for thousands of displaced and vulnerable families in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq in the fields of basic needs, education and child protection and livelihoods.

Latest posts

  • Quarterly highlights – Q3 2022
    November 2, 2022
  • Winter in the time of Cholera
    November 1, 2022
  • A part of us died last winter
    October 20, 2022

Tags

agriculture basic needs Beirut explosion child protection COVID19 development education faith-based partners food security health home rehabilitation hygiene internally displaced Iraq Lebanon livelihoods local communities migrant workers prayer focus psychosocial support recovery refugees relief staff care Syria training winter assistance women

Read more

  • Basic needs
  • Beirut explosion
  • Context & Resources
  • Covid-19
  • Education & protection
  • Livelihoods
  • Meet our friends
  • Meet our partners
  • Prayer focus
  • Quarterly highlights
  • They talk about us
  • Training and staff care

What we do

  • Basic needs
  • Education & child protection
  • Livelihoods

Meet our friends

  • Meet our partners
  • Meet our beneficiaries

Know more

  • Impact report
  • Blog
  • Child protection policy

Get involved

  • Pray
  • Donate
  • Raise awareness
© 2019 MERATH is the relief and community development arm of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD)