UN: Syrian refugees will constitute about 20% of Lebanese population

The United Nations announced on Wednesday, July 4 that the number of Syrian refugees flowing into Lebanon will constitute by the end of this year about 20 person of the population.

UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said in a statement she made to CNN, of which Alsumaria got a copy, after she concluded her visit to Lebanon: “since my last visit to Lebanon 6 months ago, the number of Syrian refugees has increase about 200%”. She added: “by the end of the year, Syrian refugees will constitute about 20% of the Lebanese population”.

Amos called for “offering more help to the ever-increasing number of Syrian refugees as well as the hosting environment influenced by the Syrian crisis”.

“The Syrian crisis is taking its toll on the Lebanese economy and on the country’s ability to provide elementary services such as education and health care”, she confirmed.

Lebanon is hosting more than half a million Syrian refugees ever since the battles between the opposition and the ruling party started in March 15, 2011. The Syrian events started with wide popular movements demanding reform and democracy and ended with calls to topple the regime.