Sharing hope to millions of refugees with shelter from the bitter cold

[Editor’s Note: The following is an announcement from UNHCR]

MANILA, Philippines – With more than 65 million persons uprooted from their homes due to war and conflict, the year 2016 will end with the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history. This massive scale of displacement has never been seen since World War 2.

One of the crisis’ primary drivers is the civil war that has ravaged Syria for six years now. More recently, tens of thousands of families are living in fear as conflict intensified in the besieged city of Aleppo. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR is ready with shelter, protection, and winter support for families from Aleppo where access is granted. Truckloads of humanitarian assistance are already positioned for deployment.

In Iraq, there has also been a marked increase in the number of people fleeing after fighting escalated in Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. Nearly one million have been displaced as a result of the fighting in the city this year.

In these emergency hotspots, UNHCR is on a race against time to save lives and intensify its protection response to millions of displaced people, who are falling deeper into poverty with increasing vulnerabilities.

More help needed as winter bites

As temperatures plunge, providing shelter and life-saving assistance can also mean the difference between life and death.

Among those vulnerable to the bitter cold is Aisha, who lives in hard-to-reach Syrian town of Qudsaya, which has been largely cut off by war. “I burn plastic and cardboard in order to get some warmth during the winter,” says the 70-year-old grandmother, who fled her home in rural Damascus five years ago after fighting erupted.

At nearly 800 meters above sea level, those living in unfinished buildings and exposed shelters in Qudsaya are most at risk from harsh winter conditions. Most rainfall comes in the winter, and temperatures often drop below zero.

“We barely survive here” as it is, says Aisha, standing in an unfurnished room with the smell of damp hanging in the air. “We don’t even have warm clothes in this harsh weather.”

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has begun providing shelter and delivering life-saving assistance to 4.6 million displaced Syrians and Iraqis like Aisha to help them survive the brutal winter conditions.

“The need for sustained funding support as winter approaches, and a redoubling of efforts to reach those displaced by the fighting, many of whom now live in rudimentary conditions in camps, is crucial,” says UN spokesperson Adrian Edwards. 

For families fleeing Mosul, UNHCR is providing protection monitoring services and emergency household items for displaced families. With night-time temperatures now reaching freezing, the UN Refugee Agency has begun distributing extra winter assistance including kerosene stoves, insulated mattresses, quilts and tent insulation kits.

In the coming weeks, UNHCR aims to reach 3.2 million Syrians and 1.4 million Iraqis who have been uprooted within their countries’ borders or have sought refuge in neighboring countries. In recent weeks, UNHCR has been providing tents, shelter kits, sleeping bags, clothing, and plastic sheets to meet the most urgent needs and improve living conditions. UNHCR is also working with partners to quickly rehabilitate structures as temperatures drop 

However, UNHCR’s Winter Assistance Plan is underfunded by USD 68 million.

This holiday season, UNHCR appeals to its supporters in the Philippines to share hope and compassion by helping provide shelter, thermal blankets, heaters, and life-saving essentials to families who have been forced to flee their homes.

“We are still unable to reach the many thousands without food, water and shelter in eastern Aleppo as temperatures drop and fighting rages. With its UN partners, UNHCR continues to call for an end to the hostilities to allow safe passage out, and humanitarian assistance to be delivered,” says UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards.

Sharing hope to the thousands displaced in Mindanao

Here in the Philippines, protracted conflict, clan wars, and the impacts of natural disasters also continue to drive displacement 

For six years now, UNHCR has co-led the Mindanao Protection Cluster together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to reach remote and vulnerable communities that have been displaced. With its partners, UNHCR responds to the protection concerns of displaced families to help them achieve durable solutions and support them in rebuilding lives.

The UN Refugee Agency also provides channels to ensure that the voices of all stakeholders, especially displaced persons themselves, are heard and considered.

Latest data from the Mindanao Protection Cluster shows that as of the end of October 2016, more than 152,000 persons are presently displaced across the region and are in need of durable solutions. Those displaced by natural disasters are concentrated in Region 11 due to Typhoon Bopha, which hit Eastern Mindanao four years ago. 

In this season of giving, UNHCR is reaching out to Filipinos to share the gift of hope to help displaced families in Mindanao rebuild their lives through durable solutions.

One way to give a gift that gives back is by supporting UNHCR’s Community Empowerment Projects in the region. These projects can come in the form of fishing boats, community infrastructure, and other initiatives that help restore hope and dignity in families forced by conflict and natural disasters. – Rappler.com