Lebanon storm threatens thousands of Syrian refugees

A winter storm in Lebanon is putting thousands of Syrian refugees living in the country at risk, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday. "We consider (the storm) a threat to some 100,000 Syrian refugees living in tents across Lebanon," Roberta Russo, a UNHCR spokeswoman, told dpa. The storm, named Alexa, has caused severe snowfall in areas 400 metres above sea level. The hard-hit areas were mainly in the northern and eastern parts of Lebanon, where many Syrian refugees are living in tents and makeshift shelters.