'These months are particularly brutal for children. They are at higher risk of developing respiratory infections in the cold weather, and – tragically – they are also in danger when families burn plastic or other toxic materials inside their shelters to keep warm,' said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Peter Salama.
According to UNICEF, early weather reports indicate that this winter could be harsher than last year’s with temperatures in some mountainous areas dropping as low as minus 13°C during the coldest days of December and January, along with possible storms and heavy snowfall which could cause hardship for families who are struggling to survive even in normal conditions.
The Syrian crisis has displaced more than three million children inside the country, sometimes multiple times and in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt more than 2.2 million children are now living as refugees, UNICEF said.
The UN agency said that many families’ financial resources are exhausted after five years of continued crises, making purchases of even essentials like warm coats and scarves impossible.
The package of assistance to be provided by UNICEF will support 2.6 million Syrian children living inside the country and across the region, with the focus mainly on children who have been hit the hardest, including the internally displaced and those living in hard-to-reach areas or in informal tented settlements.
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