HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

 Over 73,200 refugees received World Food Programme (WFP) food vouchers;

 Over 65,000 refugess received clothes vouchers, blankets, quilts, kitchen sets, matresses, recreation kits for children and other household items;

 more than 56,000 refugees benefited from 10,559 hygiene kits as well as over 3,665 baby kits;

 Over 4,000 refugees received primary health care services

 740 patients were admitted to hospitals nationwide;

 4,750 Syrians were reported to have arrived in Lebanon this week;

UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi visited Syria on 21-23 May to see first-hand the impact of conflict and displacement on Palestine refugees and to provide his personal support and encouragement for UNRWA’s operations. Mr. Grandi met with Syrian Government officials and reinforced his message to Palestinians to preserve their neutrality and to keep out of the conflict.

Highlights

• On 23 May 2013, AFAD - the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency of Government of Turkey announced that the total number of Syrians registered and accommodated in 17 camps in 8 provinces was 194,758 including 413 Syrians receiving medical treatment in hospitals. This is a very slight decrease compared to the day before due to more returns than the new arrivals.

• AFAD reported that during the last 24 hrs of 22-23 May, 417 new arrival Syrians were registered and accommodated in the camps and 627 Syrians voluntarily returned to Syria.

AMMAN/DUBAI, 24 May 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of people are gathering in villages in southern Syria, unable to seek refuge in Jordan because of insecurity along the border or, according to some, new Jordanian security measures.

In Nasib village, just 2km from one of four border crossings between Jordan and Syria, there are 10,000 displaced people waiting to leave Syria, according to village imam Abu Omar. He said government security forces abandoned the village "long ago".

Syria - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #16, Fiscal Year (FY) 2013

05/24/2013 14:38 GMT

GENEVA, May 24, 2013 (AFP) - The United States, Turkey and Qatar called Friday for an urgent debate on Syria at the UN's top human rights body next week, citing the escalating conflict and the regime's assault on the central town of Qusayr.

"We have the honour to request the Human Rights Council to hold an urgent debate on the deteriorating situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, and the recent killings in Al Qusayr," the ambassadors of the three countries wrote in their request to council president Remigiusz Henczel.

The President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Mr Tadateru Konoé, has concluded a visit to Syria where the humanitarian impact of the crisis is worsening.

(Lomé, Togo -­‐May 2013 )

Representatives from African states have been outspoken in calling for a ‘concerted and accelerated effort’ towards an Africa-‐wide ban on cluster bombs at a meeting in Lomé this week. Cluster Munition Coalition campaigners attending the meeting from African states, including survivors, called on states to act now to protect civilians from harm.

Until May 17, roughly 1,600 refugees arrived every day in Zaatari, Jordan’s largest refugee camp. In recent days the number has fallen to close to zero. This raises questions about why refugees are not able to cross the border.