UN refugee agency prepares to aid Syrian refugees during winter

The UN refugee agency ( UNHCR) said that it is budgeting more than 64 million U.S. dollars for winter preparations for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries and internally displaced Syrians, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said on Friday. UNHCR statistics showed that the total number of Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey exceeds 340,000. "In Jordan for example, the agency will focus both on the refugees in camps and those living in the local communities," Nesirky said at a daily news briefing here. "With its partners, UNHCR will help at least 10,000 refugee families living in cities with an extra monthly cash allowance for the most vulnerable." "The agency will also increase the provision of one-time emergency grants and issue vouchers for basic needs such as winter clothing and fuel for heating," he said. In the Za'atri camp, the agency will distribute a winter package that will include stoves and fuel, warm clothing and high thermal blankets, he said. "Tent modifications are also planned for better insulation and protection." "In Lebanon, where Syrian refuges live in local communities, UNHCR is providing cash rental assistance as well as collective and transitional shelters and is helping with renovations to the homes of host families," he said. "The refugee agency is also preparing to assist Syrian refugees in Turkey and Iraq during the winter months," he said.