Attachments
A total of approximately 276,000 people (both Lebanese and Syrians) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon.
It is estimated that around 70 per cent are Syrians and 30 per cent are Lebanese nationals.
Overview of Developments
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UNHCR continues to observe a high proportion of women and children crossing from Lebanon into Syria, with 60 per cent of total new arrivals under the age of 18.
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Of the 276,000 individuals who have crossed from Lebanon to Syria, over 5,500 are persons with specific needs, including 1,300 persons with disabilities and others with chronic illnesses.
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UNHCR and its partners continue to directly respond to the needs of new arrivals, at the borders and in the communities they are being hosted in. Outreach volunteers and mobile teams are also reaching out to newly arrived families and are being referred to services provided at the nearest UNHCR-supported 114 community centres. Provision of relief items, as well as health and protection services are ongoing in efforts to help newly arrived families meet their basic needs.
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The Higher Relief Committee – the Government body coordinating emergency response in Syria – convened, chaired by the Prime Minister, to discuss more effective and efficient ways to support and assist the Lebanese new arrivals through health services, food, and other forms of relief.
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The Ministry of Health reported that over 35,000 of those who arrived 24th September (both Syrians and Lebanese) have benefited from free medical support.
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On 12th October, the UNHCR Representative travelled to Homs to visit one of the hosting centres located in a Roman Catholic monastery in the rural Al Qusair where 45 Lebanese families were being hosted. There he engaged with some refugees from Lebanon, listening to their stories and immediate needs, and paid tribute to the management for their generous assistance. The Representative also visited Joussieh and Daboussieh border crossings to discuss with the respective immigration officials how UNHCR can better support them.