Snow storms and torrential rain hit the Middle East in January, creating more difficulties for millions of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). In Turkey, heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures enveloped most parts of the country. In Lebanon, snow storms blanketed the high-altitude towns in the Bekka valley and northern Lebanon. In Syria and Iraq, the harsh weather conditions created difficulties for the newly-displaced, particularly in Aleppo and Mosul.
UNHCR has provided winter assistance to more than 3.2 million Syrian IDPs and refugees (95% of the planned beneficiaries) and over 670,000 Iraqi IDPs and refugees (59% of the planned beneficiaries) in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Assistance included seasonal cash assistance, core relief items specific to winter, and shelter insulation support, provided in coordination with government agencies, partners, community outreach volunteers, and the broader inter-agency response platforms.