Not just the weather

Sondos Elnour is a Field Officer with UNHCR; she points out that the social distancing and movement restrictions in place in many countries on account of COVID-19 mean many refugees are unable to go to work and businesses are not operating.

Refugees who have been displaced for longer, some multiple times, have often exhausted their savings long ago. The situation is particularly worrying in Lebanon as it faces multiple challenges: economic crisis, the pandemic, impact of the Syrian war and the Beirut explosion, and harsh winter weather. Without income, vulnerable families can’t meet essential needs such as heaters, fuel, food and medicine.