UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the announced aid of 50 million U.S. dollars by Qatar for displaced Syrians to cope with the harsh winter, a UN spokesperson said Thursday.
"The secretary-general welcomes the recent announcement by the emir of Qatar to allocate 50 million dollars to support Syrian refugees and displaced persons in the Middle East affected by the recent severe weather in the region," said UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq in a statement.
He added that Guterres is grateful to the emir and the people of Qatar for their generosity.
The recent harsh winter conditions in the Levant, including Syria and Lebanon, have had a horrific impact on the Syrian refugees and the communities hosting them.
Published reports have said snowstorms and weeks of bad weather up till mid-January turned Lebanon's lush Bekaa Valley into an unlivable swamp for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.
Also, torrential downpours ravaged the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib in mid-January, reportedly placing at least 11,000 children living in refugee camps in a "desperate plight."
Haq said humanitarian partners continue to respond to the needs of those who have been affected and are reinforcing preparedness and mitigation efforts, acknowledging "these difficult conditions make Qatar's donation extremely valuable and timely for the UN system's efforts to help vulnerable people."
