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Gallery|Humanitarian Crises

A game of survival for Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Harsh winter weather conditions have compounded the difficulties for jobless refugees in Lebanon’s Qab Elias.

Qab Elias is the third-largest city in the Bekaa Valley, after Zahleh and Baalbeck. Many Syrian settlements have grown here.
By Cherine Yazbeck
Published On 27 Feb 201527 Feb 2015
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Qab Elias, Lebanon – Syrian refugees living in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley have been struggling amid a harsh winter, with heavy snowfall frequently collapsing their fragile tents.

Four years after the beginning of Syria’s war, the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has surpassed one million. Most are jobless and homeless, and hold little hope of returning anytime soon to their war-ravaged homeland. A large number of children are not in school.

Their settlements have been hastily set up in vacant lots, abandoned buildings, garages and farm sheds. In the town of Qab Elias in eastern Lebanon, refugees say they are freezing to death in their tents. Dozens of malnourished children frolic in the snow, wearing light clothes and plastic slippers atop the icy ground.

Refugees say the aid they are receiving is not enough. Mohammad al-Rasheed, a spokesperson for the Qab Elias settlement, said World Vision has provided some clothes and cold-weather gear. But as the war drags on, international funds aimed at helping Syrian refugees have significantly dwindled.

The harsh winter weather of the Lebanese mountains has compounded the misery for these refugees, who now view their lives as a game of survival.

This young man, who lost his right eye amid shelling on his hometown of Hassake, Syria, says he dreams of recovering his full vision.
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Young people, many of whom do not attend school, have little to do in the camp but say they keep busy by playing with friends.
Despite the snowfall and freezing temperatures, refugees hang their clothes on outdoor laundry lines.
Fifteen people live in this 20-square-metre tent, where the temperature inside dips as low as five degrees. They depend on fire for heat, but wood has been running in short supply.
Abo Ahmad, a Syrian truck driver, has a family of 15 to care for. After leaving his hometown of Hassake in 2013, he says he has found random jobs that allow him to bring some money to the family.
During the day, the tents are mostly empty. At night, mattresses are spread on the floor, and the entire family sleeps in the same space.
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Camp spokesperson Mohammad al-Rasheed deals with institutions, NGOs and aid workers on behalf of the refugee population.
Children play together in the snow. They have no access to the village school.
Many of the children do not even have socks to wear, despite the freezing temperatures.
A man displays his World Vision family card, which allows them to receive a small monthly basket of food.


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