Aid workers in Lebanon prepare for winter

New Internationalist

12 Nov 2024 • 3 min read

Salam LADC, an NGO working to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon, are worried that their resources will not be enough for the coming winter. TILDA KÄMMLEIN.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley are facing an increasingly dire situation. Already at the back of the line for aid, these communities are now confronting the threat of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. 'The situation is very bad here, we have nothing', says one refugee woman I spoke to, carrying her two-year-old son.

Syrian refugees in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon are vulnerable and marginalised, living in harsh conditions, but local NGOs are trying to help. TILDA KÄMMLEIN.

Salam LADC, an NGO founded in 2006 by native Lebanese humanitarian worker Joseph Matta, is supporting affected communities as best they can. The Beqaa Valley hosts one of the largest concentrations of Syrian refugees in the country, an estimated 300,000 displaced people. A significant number are in urgent need of aid, especially given the harsh living conditions they face.

'We started our work during the war in 2006 and our mission since then has been to strengthen inter-community dialogue between displaced and host communities,' Matta explains. 'We are assisting the most vulnerable regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.'

Salam LADC provide food for displaced communities, often the only meal they will receive all day. TILDA KÄMMLEIN.

I join the Salam team in Saadnayel on a Friday as they distribute food at a public school that has been transformed into a shelter for displaced families. Children are among the many people lining up for a meal in the early afternoon — the first and, for many, the only time they will eat today. Matta says the NGO is fundraising for its emergency kitchen in order to continue distributing meals as well as warm clothing and other supplies to those in need.

At the beginning of November, the sun is shining in the valley, with daytime temperatures rising well above 20 degrees. But winter approaching and the number of people in need of proper shelter, blankets, and clothing has risen significantly compared to last year. Standing here in a t-shirt, it’s hard to imagine this place blanketed in snow, as is typical in late December.

As with many conflicts, women and children bear the brunt of escalating violence. In Lebanon, humanitarian workers are prioritizing warm children's clothing for the approaching winter. TILDA KÄMMLEIN.

Staff and volunteers with Salam LADC worry their resources will not be sufficient. 'We are trying our best to provide heaters for households living inside the camps and shelters,' says Matta, adding that they are prioritizing shoes and warm clothing for children.

Syrian refugees, long displaced by the instability of the region, are often forgotten as the world shifts focus to new crises. Many live in overcrowded, substandard conditions, with limited access to basic services. Humanitarian aid is stretched thin, and the global community's attention has waned, leaving refugees to struggle in silence. Without sustained support, their prospects for rebuilding a dignified life remain uncertain, deepening the cycle of vulnerability.

— Tilda Kämmlein