The number of Syrians who died during their flight from war in their country to neighboring Lebanon during a snowstorm rose to at least 13, the United Nations said on Saturday.
A group of Syrians, including children, tried to enter Lebanon late Thursday through an illegal route when they were surprised by a severe snowstorm.
The Lebanese army and civil defense announced on Friday the bodies of 10 Syrians, including two children and six women. But the toll rose on Saturday.
UN refugee agency spokeswoman Lisa Abu Khaled said at least 13 Syrians had been confirmed dead in the incident.
The victims were “trying to cross a bumpy passage at very low temperatures,” UNHCR said in a statement.
“Other members of the group, including a pregnant woman, were found at the right time, and a number of residents of the area, the Lebanese army and the Civil Defense took them to hospitals before they froze in the cold,” the statement said.
A source in the Lebanese army told AFP that the death toll rose to 14.
“The army found 12 bodies on Friday and one of the injured died in the hospital, and on Saturday the toll rose to 14 after the army found an additional body,” he said.
Lebanon, which has a population of four million, is home to about a million Syrians who have sought refuge from the war that has hit their country since 2011. Many live in informal camps in the east of the country and suffer from cold in the winter.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it was distributing blankets, thick clothing and heating fuel.
“More children may be among those who have died, while efforts by residents of the region and the Lebanese authorities continue to search for people who are still reportedly trapped in the mountains in freezing temperatures and in the snow,” the organization said in a statement.
“The fierce war must stop wherever it is and we must redouble our assistance to the affected children,” organization said.
In 2015, the Lebanese authorities set new restrictions on the number of Syrians entering the country.
Lebanon and Syria share a 330-kilometer border and lack official demarcation in many places.
