Syrian refugees in Lebanon to 625,000

The office of the UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Sunday that the number of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon had swelled to reach 625,000 people. The weekly report of the UNHCR office in Lebanon said 530,000 refugees have registered at the UN office here so far and the remaining figure is of people waiting to have their names registered shortly. The UNHCR pointed out that the Syrians refugees are given shelter in different Lebanese cities and governorates. It detailed that over 185,000 refugees have settled in the North Lebanon Governorates, 179,000 in the Beqaa region, 98,000 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and 67,000 in southern governorates. The report revealed that over 95 projects were set up at the cities hosting the Syrian refugees to ease the economic burden on local host communities. The UNHCR voiced concern about the security situation in Northern Lebanon and the Beqaa, particularly in the town of Hermel close to the Syrian border, which impedes access by humanitarian teams and agencies. According to some UN estimates, it is feared basic services systems in host countries would collapse under the extreme pressure of continuous influx of Syrian refugees. In one example, a UN report indicated the number of Syrian students in Lebanese schools by end of the current school year would be around 450,000 compared to just 350,000 Lebanese.