UN official calls for solidarity with Lebanon

Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called on the international community to show solidarity with Lebanon, which hosts thousands of Syrian refugees. In remarks following a meeting with Lebanon's Prime Minister Naguib Mikati on Friday, Guterres praised the Lebanese government and people for sheltering the Syrian refugees. He said the number of displaced Syrian children in Jordan and Lebanon is growing, noting that they are missing out on education and serving as primary breadwinners in their families. A report by the UN, "The Future of Syria –Refugee Children in Crisis", details the fracturing of families, with more than 70,000 Syrian refugee families living without fathers, and over 3,700 refugee children unaccompanied or separated from both parents. The 32-month conflict has left deep scars on defenseless children. In the first six months of this year, 741 Syrian refugee children were referred to hospitals in Lebanon and treated for injuries. More than 1,000 children in Jordan's Za'atri Refugee Camp were treated for war-related injuries over a one-year period. Source: MENA