Edinburgh Direct Aid has said refugees in Arsal, Lebanon, require urgent support

A Scottish charity has launched an emergency appeal to help those in a war-torn region after further disaster struck.

Edinburgh Direct Aid has launched a drive to provide emergency supplies and shelter to 50,000 Syrian refugees in Arsal, Lebanon.

A two-day storm in the remote town, situated high above the Bekaa valley - at an altitude higher than Ben Nevis - has left the refugees, many of whom live in totally inadequate tented settlements, in deep snow, short of food, fuel, water, and electricity.

The charity has said the storm has brought into sharp focus not only the dreadful living conditions of the refugees, with decreasing levels of aid available from the cash-strapped UNHCR and still no hope of safe return to Syria, but also the crumbling infrastructure of a country that has the highest proportion (one in four) of refugees in the world.

A spokeswoman said: “The prospect of such extreme weather during the winter is dreaded by the refugees more and more each year. Crude temporary homes of plastic sheeting and canvas have had to withstand extremes of hot and cold since 2013.

“The UN regional response plan for Syrian refugees has been increasingly underfunded during this time, while chances of paid work have diminished. So levels of poverty and ill health are rising, making the refugees ill-equipped to cope with any level of cold, damp, and anxiety. It is all happening as hopes of safe return to Syria, and seeing scattered loved ones again continue to recede.”

A representative from the charity, Maggie Tookey, flew out to Lebanon this week to coordinate the charity’s response and donations can be made on the EDA website.