Report: 3-Month-Old Syrian Dies from Cold in Akkar
A Syrian infant has died from cold weather in the northern Akkar province, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday, as the blustery storm kept a tight grip on Lebanon.
NNA said 3-month-old Mahmoud Raad, whose parents are Syrian refugees, died in a room where his family was staying in the town of Akroum.
But the agency said some witnesses claimed the baby was suffering from jaundice and that his death was not caused by the severe cold.
If confirmed that Raad died from cold, it would be the first fatality in Lebanon directly caused by the severe weather.
There have been several casualties in car crashes caused by slippery roads.
The snowstorm, dubbed Alexa, has been battering Lebanon since Tuesday, bringing snow to areas as low as 400 meters above sea level, and a severe drop in temperatures.
The snowstorm is expected to continue through Friday and early Saturday, the Meteorology Department said.
It has forced aid agencies to scramble to distribute desperately needed winter supplies like blankets to Syrian refugees who have sought safe haven in Lebanon.
Many Syrians in Lebanon live in appalling conditions, finding shelter in slums, tents and tin shacks strung with laundry lines and wedged between farmland outside towns and cities.
Most public and private schools remained closed for the third consecutive day on Friday.
All of Lebanese mountains were covered with heavy snow as military units worked to help stranded residents in remote towns and villages, NNA said.
The army evacuated scores of people and took their vehicles to safety, it added.
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