Syrian refugees in Lebanon supass 890,000: UNHCR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has surpassed 890,000.

The world body said on Sunday that there are 247,425 registered refugees in northern Lebanon, while 7,032 are still awaiting registration.

Beirut and Mount Lebanon also host 201,818 registered Syrian refugees, and 28,184 others are still waiting to register.

Moreover, 284,852 Syrians have been registered with the agency in the Bekaa region, while 11,692 are yet to register.

In southern Lebanon, 107,846 Syrian refugees are registered and 1,286 are in the process of registration.

The Beirut government has repeatedly called upon the international community to fulfill their pledges to help Lebanon accommodate the high number of the Syrian refugees escaping the violence in their homeland, which heavily impacts the Lebanese economy.

In June 2013, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman urged the UN Security Council to pay more attention to the burden that the influx of Syrian refugees has had on Lebanon.

On September 30, Lebanon’s Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour pleaded for more international support to tackle the huge influx of the refugees from Syria.

“We are calling on the international community to bear its responsibility,” he said.

He slammed the lack of international assistance with the exodus of Syrian refugees into Lebanon. “Nothing of significance has materialized so far. Not one hospital. Not one school,” Abu Faour said.

Syria has been gripped by deadly crisis since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – are supporting the militants operating inside the country.