UNHCR: 200,000 Syrian Refugees Currently in Lebanon
More than 200,000 Syrian refugees have fled the bloody conflict in their home country for Lebanon, according to figures released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Saturday.
“195,000 Syrians are currently receiving aid from the Lebanese government, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations,” a statement released by the U.N. said.
According to the report around 139,000 refugees are registered within the agency and more than 55,000 are waiting to be registered.
The statement pointed out that around 1,500 displaced Syrians are daily registered through the four registration centers that the UNHCR established across Lebanon.
Recently, sharp differences emerged between Lebanese officials over a proposal by Free Patriotic Minister Jebran Bassil to close the border between Lebanon and Syria, as those who oppose this move argue that the refugees would use the illegal border crossings.
There are currently 70,751 refugees in north Lebanon, 53,351 in the Bekaa and around 15,173 Syrians in Beirut and south Lebanon.
The intense fighting between forces loyal to President Bashar Assad and rebels battling to overthrow him has sparked a huge exodus of Syrians and Palestinians to neighboring countries.
The United Nations has appealed for $1 billion to fund refugee operations until June.
A United Nations report published in December predicted that the number of Syrian refugees would double to more than one million in the next six months.
According to the statement issued by the UNHCR on Saturday, the biggest challenge that the agency and its partners is providing the Syrian refugees with a shelter.
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