2000 Syrian refugee children starving in Lebanon

Nearly 2,000 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are in danger of starving to death if they do not receive immediate treatment, UNICEF said Tuesday, warning of a looming malnutrition crisis. "Malnutrition is a new, silent threat among refugees in Lebanon," Annamaria Laurini, the UN children agency's representative in Beirut, was quoted by Naharnet as saying. The problem is linked to "poor hygiene, unsafe drinking water, diseases, lack of immunization and improper feeding practices of young children," she said. There are nearly one million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including 200,000 children under the age of five. Lebanon, with a population of just four million, has seen its already limited resources stretched to the limit by the influx of refugees. UNICEF said a study conducted last October and November showed some 2,000 children "are at risk of dying and need immediate treatment to survive."