Syrian refugee pleads for 'bread' as snowstorm hits camp in Lebanon

Syrian refugees have been grappling the freezing winters in exile. As temperatures continue to fall in Lebanon, a video of a refugee pleading for bread in the Arsal camp of the Middle Eastern country. The misery of the millions of displaced Syrian refugees was brought to light through a video of a woman wailing for bread in temperature below -10 degrees Celcius. 

READ| US-Iran tensions: Israel, China, Russia pick sides; here's how rest of the world reacted 

In Lebanon's Arsal, Lebanese Forces have been forcing the Syrian refugees to comply with the rarely enforced housing codes. This move, effectively required those in exile to bring down the hard roofs and walls, thus restricting their shelter to tents and leaving them in harsh weather. The Syrian refugees were given time until July 1 last year to comply with the housing codes. The deadline was followed by a crackdown by the Lebanese Armed Forces, who knocked down the shelters of about 20 Syrian refugees. 

The order said that the shelters of the Syrian refugees built on agricultural land in Arsal came with strict permits including--plastic sheets, canvas or timber beams for upper roofs, the interior wall can be only a thin plywood and cement foundations were asked to be removed. According to international reports, the demolition order came at the time of a surged anti-refugee political rhetoric. 

Syrian Refugees

Lebanon has hosted over 1.5 million Syrian refugees fleeing the bloody Bashar al-Assad regime. According to a UNHCR report, Syria accounts for the world’s largest number of forcibly displaced people, with 5.6 million Syrian refugees dislodged. The report states that most Syrian refugees have sought refuge in five neighbouring countries--Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Lebanon.

Since the war that broke out in 2011, over half the country's population has been forced to flee their homes. The UNHRC report said, "Inside Syria, one in four schools have been damaged, destroyed or used for shelter." With no peace in sight, Syria remains at the peak of the world refugee crisis in the world.

READ| Trump's son-in-law allowed Saudi Crown Prince MBS to arrest Khashoggi

READ| ISIS unhindered by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death; financial network intact: Pentagon