DIASPORA AND WINTER.. HOW DOES VIOLET VOLUNTEERS RESPOND
A snowstorm hit the camps in northern Syria, where there is no joy in the arrival of snow, but rather tears that occupy the scene and wishes to live in a warm housing that protects them from the storms that flood their tents with rainwater and mud forcing them to flee into the open.
Suffering in the camps of northern Syria:
The tents inhabited by nearly two million displaced persons are not sufficient to protect them from the harsh weather conditions. here in the camps of northern Syria where the suffering does not end, but rather worsens in light of extreme poverty, as neither the head of the family nor the breadwinner can secure heating materials.
After a snowstorm hit the camps in northern Syria, it turned the winter into a nightmare, either staying in the open due to the fall of the tents, or the outbreak of fires in them as a result of the use of unsafe materials for heating such as nylon bags or worn clothes. The families here fear losing their children to the cold.
According to the ACU, 29% of the roads in the camps were closed, in addition to the difficulty of moving to and from the camps and delivering relief and humanitarian aid to families there.
In a study conducted by the Support Coordination Unit, 930 tents were destroyed due to harsh weather factors during the winter season, while the total number of tents that need rain insulators so as not to end up with the ruined tents reached 6719, while 5238 tents were exposed to rainwater leakage into them. 4,108 tents were partially destroyed by rain and snow and may collapse at any moment in light of the continuous weather storms in the northern Syrian regions.
The death of two infants due to extreme cold in the camps of northern Syria:
The snowstorm’s damage was not limited to tents and roads only but also extended to cause deaths, as a 7-day-old baby girl died recently due to cold and frost in Al-Laith camp in “Harbnush” north of Idlib, while another death was recorded during the previous days of a two-month-old baby girl in Sheikh Bahr camp in Idlib countryside.
Violet Team responds to affected families:
From the moment the snowstorm reached northern Syria, Violet’s Rapid Intervention Team mobilized to respond to the affected camps and families, distributing food, bread, hygiene baskets, and non-food items, including blankets, heating fuel, and insulation materials, in addition to opening roads.
In the period between January 20-30, 2022, the number of beneficiaries of heating materials and food baskets reached 7,063 individuals, including 224 special cases, in “Harem”, “Jisr al-Shughur” camps, and the city of Idlib in northern Syria.
For the sixth year in a row, Violet has launched a #WarmWinter campaign with the aim of providing heating materials, winter clothing and the most important winter necessities for vulnerable families in the northern Syrian camps.
To donate to the campaign, click here.
For more information or interview requests, please contact: [email protected]
