Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour expressed fear on Wednesday over the “disastrous” conditions of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon amid the winter storm hitting the country, al-Akhbar reported.

“We are incapable, the ministry is working through international associations to aid the refugees,” Abou Faour said in an interview, adding that “frosting will take the lives of people and the state can do nothing about it. All we can do is lessen the catastrophe and not confront it.”

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The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR spokeswomen Lisa Abou Khaled told Naharnet there were concerns for thousands of people living in more than 200 camps in central and north Lebanon.

“We are worried, because it is really cold in the Bekaa region, and we’re extremely worried about the refugees living in makeshift shelters, because many are really substandard,” she said.

Close to a million Syrian refugees are registered in Lebanon, although the real number is thought to be higher. They live in shelters made of plastic sheeting nailed to wooden frames, or are squatters in unfinished buildings with limited protection from the elements.

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