Eight-year-old Fatima will never write her name or open a school book.
Tragically, a violent storm took Fatima's life. She was swept away by floods in Minieh, northern Lebanon while playing with her sister last week.
Several days of strong winds, snow and torrential rains battered more than 570 informal tented sites all over Lebanon, home to over 22,500 refugees.
Syrian refugees living in informal tented settlements in Arsal, Lebanon, struggle with dire conditions that have worsened after a strong storm hit on January 6.
Refugee children don't have warm beds. They're not tucked up each night with The World's Worst Children by David Walliams.
In the Bekaa Valley, temperatures can drop below 0 degrees Celsius. Many shelters are under thick layers of snow. The shelters are made from temporary materials and they can't withstand extreme weather conditions.
Heavy rain, strong wind, snow and cold temperature led to floods, loss and destruction of assets and displacements in many regions of Lebanon.
"In just one month, at least eight children – most of them under four months old and the youngest only one hour old – have died," says Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
On January 17, a seven-year-old girl was walking along a watercourse in Akbiye, southern Lebanon. The torrents rose and she slipped into the water canal. Her 21-year-old brother also died trying to rescue her.
A ten year old boy died when a rock fell on the roof of his house.
Classrooms throughout Lebanon were hit by the storms. Even when the schools reopened, many children were unable to attend.
These children will never open a lunch box or play a game of tag.
Classrooms throughout Lebanon were hit by the storms. Even when the schools reopened, many children were unable to attend. They had to help their families clean up the tents and sort through their belongings.
UNICEF is particularly concerned about children and families who were already displaced and living in precarious conditions before the severe weather struck. In the Bekaa valley alone, at least 847 Syrian refugees had to relocate due to floods or severe damages to their shelters. In the North, over 700 relocations are reported so far.
A Syrian refugee stands in a flooded informal tented settlement.
"The sad reality is these children have now been hit by double humanitarian crises," said Violet Speek Warnery, UNICEF Deputy Representative to Lebanon.
"We assisted more than 6,000 refugee children in urgent need of assistance across Lebanon following the severe weather over the past 10 days and we are working closely with our NGO partners to protect children as best as we can and keep them warm and dry," said Warney.
UNICEF has distributed more than 7,000 blankets and 5,500 winter clothes for children. A thick winter coat can be life-saving in sub-zero temperatures. UNICEF has also provided cash assistance, water and sanitation services, as well as 1,500 hygiene kits for families and women.
UNICEF has distributed more than 7,000 blankets and 5,500 winter clothes for children
As the summer holidays draw to an end, over 800,000 Kiwi kids are getting ready for the start of school. Parents once again battle to cover school books with Duracell and label kids clothing.
Our kids don't fear war. They don't fear bullets or violent storms.
But Fatima will never raise her hand to answer a question. Her name will never be called out in the school roll.