Frigid temperatures and snow swept through Israel, Lebanon and Jordan on Friday, as a large winter storm moved across the region.
For example, iconic landmarks such as Western Wall and Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were an unusual sight in Jerusalem, its landmarks laced with snow on Friday morning. What's more, the snow blanketed Israel's Negev desert, and forced roads and schools to close around Jerusalem, according to local reports.
In Jerusalem, the temperature dropped to 31 degrees Fahrenheit overnight Thursday into Friday. This storm was the second such storm to hit the Middle East this year, resulting in some of the largest snowfall totals so far, including close to a foot of snow in the Jerusalem area. The storm will leave cold air in its wake, which means some areas may not see much melting through the weekend.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, schools across the country were ordered to be closed on Friday and Saturday.
Snow also fell on the tens of thousands of displaced Syrian refugees living in camps throughout the region.
At the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan, which houses over 83,000 Syrian refugees, the makeshift shelters were covered in snow. By the afternoon, warmer temperatures were causing flooding in some of the dwellings, and trucks were brought in to pump water out of the camp.
— Za'atari Camp (@ZaatariCamp) February 20, 2015
Jordan's Azraq refugee camp experienced similar snowfall, but for some children, it was a chance to play outside in the unusual weather.
Holly Solberg, regional director for humanitarian organization CARE’s Syria response, urged the international community to take notice of the refugees, who are struggling to get through the winter with enough supplies. Solberg equated the cold snap to the simultaneous drop in temperatures that parts of the U.S. are seeing.
“While the Northeast U.S. is getting pounded with snow, so are parts of the Middle East, where millions of refugees and displaced Syrians are truly suffering and at risk with no relief from the brutal winter. There’s a desperate need for more blankets, heaters, fuel for wood-burning stoves and tarps for stronger shelter from leaking roofs," she said.