The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that the number of Syrian refugees registered in Lebanon has exceeded one million refugees.
The Commission reported in a statement that the number of refugees who have fled the conflict in their country is equivalent to a quarter of the Lebanon's population, describing the figure as "a catastrophic record and what makes it more dangerous is the lack of resources and a host community on the brink of collapse."
The statement said that "three years after the outbreak of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon has become a country that is home to the highest density of refugees per capita in the world," pointing to "the acceleration of the influx of refugees.”
The Commission said that "in April 2012, there were 18,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon, in April 2013 they numbered 356,000 and currently in April 2014 the number reached one million." There are now 2,500 new refugees arriving daily, which means a rate of one person per minute.
Antonio Gutierrez, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said that "the Lebanese are showing remarkable generosity, but they are struggling to cope with the situation. Lebanon hosts the highest density of refugees in modern history, and we cannot let it bear this burden alone."
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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