“We need foodstuffs, we need heating items and we need medical care. We suffer from harsh winters. We don’t have anything, we are powerless,” cry refugees worldwide, UNHCR.

 

DONATE TO HELP TODAY

This winter season, give a family #morethanwarmth. When you donate to UMR, you are providing a family with more than just clothes to keep them warm and fuel to heat their home – you are giving them hope for a better tomorrow.

When COVID-19 swept the world, no one could have predicted the immense devastation it would cause. Millions of people all across the world are now unemployed, with no hope in sight. Now, as winter approaches, these vulnerable communities are facing an entirely new list of fears: how will I protect myself from the cold? Can I afford to feed my children? Will my family survive this winter?

Life in the Cold 

Thousands are forced “to sleep under trees, to shelter in abandoned or unfinished buildings,” according to the UNHCR. “Families are resorting to burning rubbish to try and keep warm, and shield their children from hypothermia.”

Palestinian and Syrian Refugees — Jordan

• For so many refugees, this will be their 11th winter in exile.
  • Without a place to call home, they reside in makeshift homes or refugee camps, neither of which offer proper protection from harsh winter weather.
• Jordan is home to ~744,795 refugees (UNHCR)
  • This counts for over 10% of Jordan’s population, placing immense pressure on the country’s already over-stretched resources.
• Before the pandemic, finding work as a refugee was already a struggle. Now with so many businesses closed, the majority are unable to find consistent work – meaning they have no way to afford coats, blankets, heaters, or any other winter essentials.

Gaza, Palestine 

• Earlier this year, countless homes in Gaza were destroyed in airstrikes. Now, hundreds of families have no roof over their head to protect them from the rapidly approaching, harsh winter weather.
• With~75% of the entire population living in poverty, this means that millions of people are at risk of not making it through the winter.

“Last year, three children died after they froze inside their homes which lack even primitive warming equipment due to severe lack of gas, fuel and electricity.”

Lebanon 

• In the fall of 2019, Lebanon’s economy collapsed. The cost of everyday essentials skyrocketed and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs, their homes, and their only source of income.
• 82% of the population – over 5 million people – now live below the poverty line.
• Most people in Lebanon only have electricity for 1-2 hours per day.

 

Yemen

• In Yemen,  ~24.1 million people – 80% of the population – are at risk for hunger and disease and roughly 14.3 million people are in acute need of assistance 
• UMR has been intervening in Yemen for years, providing life-saving food aid as well as medical care. Because of our experience in this country, we also know that winter is an incredibly difficult season for Yemeni’s.
  • Disease, malnutrition, starvation, and lack of adequate shelter in conjunction with COVID-19 and harsh weather pose very severe threats to individuals in Yemen.
  • Without humanitarian intervention, many Yemeni’s might not survive the winter.

USA

• Due to the pandemic that continues to tear through America, approximately 12.6 million people in the U.S. are unemployed.
• Unfortunately, children are often at the forefront of poverty in the United States
• Approximately 11.9 million children in the U.S. live in poverty, making them the poorest group in the country
• The U.S. is known for very harsh winters; below-freezing temperatures, hail, snow, sleet, and more.
  • Without adequate protection from this weather, millions of children across this country are at risk this winter.
  • We mustn’t let another child go to sleep freezing this winter.

UMR Interventions

As a humanitarian organization, our mission is to provide immediate relief for vulnerable communities that suffer from malnutrition, disease, poverty, and more. Unfortunately, the number of people in need of intervention is higher than it has ever been.

Right now, the world is united like never before as we all experience the painful effects of this global pandemic, and UMR is asking that we come together this winter to help those who have been hit the hardest by this pandemic.

Winter Kits 2021 

By supporting UMR’s Winter Kits initiative to help families survive, you will guarantee families will receive:

• Food Packs
• Blankets
• Winter Jackets
• Fuel Powered Heaters
• Fuel Vouchers