With the arrival of winter in
Lebanon, where temperatures in the Bekaa and Highlands drop between 1 and 4
degrees Celsius at night, and sometimes reach below zero with snowfall in some
mountain villages, thousands of Palestinian families residing in these areas,
especially in the Bekaa region, face significant challenges in securing heating
means, especially fuel oil, which is the main means of heating during the harsh
winter. Today, at least 220,000 refugees live in Lebanon According to UNRWA
estimates for 2025, between 80% and 93%
of them are below the poverty line, according to identical UN reports during
the last two years, with unemployment rates approaching 90% among
refugees. In the Bekaa region in
particular, field estimates and humanitarian reports indicate that there are
between 20,000 and 25,000 Palestinian refugees scattered between the camp and
the communities, including at least 7,000 refugees in the Galilee/Waifl camp
and its immediate vicinity, in addition to some 8,500 Palestine refugees from
Syria residing in the Bekaa governorate, compounding the pressure on limited
resources and heating needs. In light of
this reality, UNRWA declares that most Palestinian families are "below the
poverty line and unable to meet their basic needs," including fuel and
energy.
In recent weeks, the Palestinian Association
for Human Rights (Witness) has received dozens of appeals and calls from
refugees in these areas, expressing their almost complete inability to afford
the costs of buying fuel oil and providing a minimum level of safe heating for
their children and the elderly in light of the high prices and the shrinking of
job opportunities. In their letters, the families confirm that their living
situation has reached a critical stage, as the cost of heating has now exceeded
the monthly capacity of most families, especially since the needs of one family
during the winter season are estimated to be as high to four barrels of fuel
oil – equivalent to more than 800 liters – a financial burden that exceeds
their means in light of the high fuel prices and the deterioration of
purchasing power. The appeals stress the need for urgent intervention by the
concerned authorities to provide periodic winter assistance, including fuel,
blankets, and basic foodstuffs, in order to preserve the safety of families and
protect them from the dangers of extreme cold, especially in light of the
exceptional economic conditions that the residents of the Bekaa are going
through, which make securing heating a matter of life or a direct threat to the
safety of thousands of Palestinian families.
In a conversation with the Secretary of the Popular Committees
in the Bekaa Valley, Mr. Karem Taha, he explained that the Palestinian refugees
in the area, which is about 1200 meters
above sea level, are facing great difficulties, as the region is witnessing a
harsh winter that compounds their daily suffering with the lack of job
opportunities during the summer and autumn due to the nature of the weather.
Taha added that the UNRWA administration had previously stressed the adoption
of a digital verification mechanism to ensure transparency in support
programmes, in preparation for the resumption of cash and in-kind assistance,
and the reactivation of social affairs programmes and the extreme hardship
programme, stressing that the urgent completion of these measures is essential
to ensure that all refugees benefit without exception.
Taha stressed that providing winter
assistance and activating social support programmes is the direct
responsibility of UNRWA, and that what is required today is swift action to
alleviate the suffering of refugees under the harsh conditions, especially since
operating diesel heaters 24 hours a day requires about 10 litres per day, at a cost of between $9and $10, an amount that cannot be provided for many refugees whose daily
wages do not exceed this limit. Under these circumstances, some refugees are forced
to cut firewood to keep warm their families, with no alternative energy
sources.
Taha confirmed that the popular
committees have sent several official memoranda to UNRWA to demand the
provision of fuel and economic and in-kind support, but there has been no real
response so far. Some associations have provided limited quantities of fuel
oil, which is not enough for only one or two days, adding to the suffering of
refugees in these harsh conditions.
Recommendations
of the Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness):
1. Providing
periodic winter assistance urgently, including fuel, blankets, and basic
foodstuffs, to all Palestinian refugees in the mountainous areas and the Bekaa
Valley, without any discrimination or exception.
2. Ensure that
diesel is available in sufficient quantities for each family to cover heating
needs throughout the winter, while keeping prices within reach of refugees.
3. Strengthen
cooperation with civil society and popular committees in affected areas to
facilitate aid distribution and monitor its reach to actual beneficiaries.
4. Activating
humanitarian emergency plans to deal with harsh conditions in winter, ensuring
minimal human security and decent living.
5. Periodically
follow up on the situation on the ground and provide clear reports on the
implementation of support programs and their impact on the lives of refugees,
to ensure the transparency and effectiveness of the humanitarian process.
The Palestinian Association
for Human Rights (Witness)
Beirut on 9/12/2025