Lebanon hosts above 600,000 Syrian refugees

Lebanon hosts above 600,000 Syrian refugees
Mon Jul 22, 2013 09:30:52

There are more than 625,000 Syrian refugees in neighboring Lebanon, as the western-backed insurgency in Syria goes on to claim more lives and make more to flee.

According to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released on Sunday, the recent figure comes after the registrations with its office in the Arab country increased by 13,000.

The report also says that the number of registered refugees is over 530,000, adding that more than 95,000 people are currently waiting for the completion of their registration process.

This week, more than 429,899 Syrian refugees reportedly received food coupons from the World Food Program through the Refugees Danish Board, the International Handicapped Organization, and a number of Italian NGOs.

Meanwhile, Beirut has called on the UN Security Council, as well as international donors, to help with it hosting the growing number of Syrian refugees.

Earlier in July, the UNHCR announced that the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has passed half a million.

Lebanese government officials, aid workers and experts believe the refugee figure is higher by an additional several hundred thousand people, and it does not include the tens of thousands of displaced Syrians in Lebanon who are well-off or not relying on humanitarian assistance.

The Syria crisis started in March 2011, when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following intervention of western and regional states.

The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.

As the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US government boosts its political and military support to Takfiri extremists.

Washington has remained indifferent about warnings by Russia and other world powers about the consequences of arming militant groups.

SHI/SHI

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