Washington DC (PRWEB) November 29, 2012
According to a report by Al-Jazeera news on November 27, 2012, “Three Syrian children have died in the Syrian refugee camp, Alzaatari near the Jordanian-Syrian border, in the last three days. Activists have attributed their death to the cold wave sweeping the camp without heaters.”
This tragic news coincides with several recent reports that highlight increased fears of the severe impacts of the cold winter weather on the refugees and particularly the young children. Many refugees left their homes during the summer months with only the light clothing on their backs. T-shirts and flip-flops are inadequate for warmth during the winter months, as reported by the New York Times.
Limitation of a proper source of heating, warm clothing and blankets are an alarming reality for the refugees. “Hundreds of thousands of children who have fled the fighting in Syria are at risk from cold and disease as winter approaches, according to aid agencies. There are fears that scores of vulnerable children could die in the makeshift camps that litter the border regions in countries like Lebanon and Iraq,” Voice of America stated in a report published on Nov 20th, 2012.
“The death of the three Syrian children at Al-Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan is a sign of the international community’s failure to recognize the needs of the Syrian people, whether inside the country or in the refugee camps, and act accordingly." stated Dr Samah Bassas, SEO board member. " It is outrageous and shameful to observe children dying of cold, especially after an already long path of suffering—fleeing their homes and country and living in makeshift shelters,” Dr Bassas said.
SEO acknowledges the great efforts implanted by the international aid organizations to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, however, given the additional burden of winter, SEO stresses the need to adopt more drastic measures to ensure the refugee's safety and survival through this winter.
SEO urges the UNHRC to strengthen their winter supplies of heaters, cooking stoves, warm clothing and blankets to the Syrian refugees in neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. SEO notes that while the cold weather does pose an additional burden on already mounting demands, ignoring these warnings, can mount to even more deaths as the harsher winter months approach.
The Syrian Expatriates Organization is a leading nonprofit organization of Syrian Americans and Syrian Canadians that reflects the diversity and talent of the Syrian nation. Its mission is to support the establishment of a free and democratic Syria. In addition, the SEO provides humanitarian relief to those in need and works to promote the social, political and economic development of Syria.