Sharjah: Sharjah’s The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) has pledged to donate $350,000 (around Dh1.28 million) towards two UNHCR projects to help displaced Syrian families and children facing the harsh winter in Lebanon and Iraq as refugees.
The first $250,000 (around Dh917,500) will go towards UNHCR’s ‘Warm their Hearts’ campaign that will provide winter aid to over 417 familiesin Lebanon.
The second $100,000 (around Dh367,000) will go towards UNHCR’s work in Iraq to help around 300,000 displaced Syrian refugee families.
Mariam Al Hammadi, director of Salam Ya Seghar, a TBHF initiative to improve the welfare of refugee children, said TBHF was “swift in our response to the extreme winter weather conditions that have recently swept the area. In Lebanon and Iraq temperatures can go as low as -15C, and displaced Syrian refugees struggle to survive these conditions, with some forced to live in temporary accommodation that are no more than flimsy huts and makeshift shelters”.
Al Hammadi said the relief winter programme will provide necessities such as thermal blankets, stoves, kerosene and also cash assistance, adding that TBHF is dedicated to helping Syrian refugees lead a life of dignity by providing them relief and sustainable support.
The UNHCR’s ‘Warm their Hearts’ campaign addresses the winter needs of around 463,750 refugees, which is about 39 per cent of the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon. It will also provide a winter survival kit that includes five blankets, three thermal blankets, a heating stove, gas bottle and four months of gas supply.
In Iraq, TBHF will donate $100,000 to UNHCR’s programme which will help around 300 vulnerable refugee families in need of life-saving support.
The UNHCR’s winter plan in Iraq will provide winter assistance to 26,400 households or 132,000 refugees, which is approximately 53 per cent of the Syrian refugee population living in Iraq. It will give assistance in the form of tent insulation, deliver emergency supplies and core winter relief items such as plastic sheeting, jerry can, one stove and kerosene to each household.
The rest of UNHCR’s winter assistance will be unconditional cash support to socio-economically vulnerable Syrian refugee families and individuals living outside camps.
