UNHCR: More 50,000 Syrians arrive in Lebanon

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Saturday that 50,000 Syrian refugees had arrived in Lebanon last January, bringing the total number of refugees in Lebanon up to 902,000. The Commissioner said in its monthly report which Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) received a copy of that 854,000 of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon had registered their official documents with the UN, while another 47,000 are still waiting for their turn to register, in order to receive regular aid. The refugees are spreading across different Lebanese cities, with 249,493 in the north, 288,956 in Beirut, 206,393 in Mount Lebanon, and 109,510 in Southern Lebanon, noted the report. The report mentioned that the Commissioner had provided medical care and mental support for over 200 victims of sexual violence and other types of abuse in January, adding that 45,000 had received primary medical attention including diagnosis, medications, pre-birth injections, and after-birth medical care. Over 627,000 refugees received food aid presented by the World Food Program (WFP), while more than 58,000 were given sheltering aid including money to pay rents, and financial aid for hosting families, said the report. The report also noted that over 70,000 Palestinian refugees had received financial sheltering aid from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the past months. The UN had also opened additional 63 refugee centers in Beqaa, leading the number of refugee centers to reach 450 in the country. Many Kuwaiti activists and humanitarian organizations such as the Red Crescent, Zakat House, Social Reform Society, and Al-Rahma International Society, among others are continuously providing aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey and Jordan. The second donors conference held in Kuwait mid-January resulted in pledges of USD 2.4 billion to support Syrians.