The United Nations on Friday appealed for donations to help millions of people displaced by conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan and the Middle East survive the winter, with “extreme difficulty” in keeping warm.
"Many displaced families will have no choice but to choose between food and warmth as they struggle to heat their shelters, get warm clothes and cook hot meals,” UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado told reporters in Geneva.
The UNHCR is particularly concerned about the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their homes since Russia invaded their country in February 2022 and bombed the country’s power plants. Many are living in shelters, “damaged houses or buildings ill-suited to protect them from the freezing cold, with power, heating and water supplies failing,” she said.
Related News
UNHCR has launched housing rehabilitation programmes in Ukraine to enable one million internally displaced people to access “safe, warm and dignified accommodation during the cold months”, but urgently needs more funds as winter approaches.
In Afghanistan, many displaced families will be exposed to sub-zero winter temperatures there too. And more than 3 million displaced Syrians and Iraqis will also need “essential assistance to cope with the winter”.
“This will be the 12th consecutive winter of displacement for many”. The situation is particularly serious in Lebanon, in the midst of an economic crisis, where nine out of 10 Syrian refugees are already living in extreme poverty, the UNHCR warned.
