The EU boosted its humanitarian funding for Syrian refugees in Lebanon by an additional 17 million euros ($18.6 million) Friday.
“Life for Syrian refugees is getting harder and harder, as they have spent most of what savings they had on food, housing and medical treatment,” said Bruno Rotival, head of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department’s office in Lebanon.
“Families are getting deeper and deeper into debt and many Syrian children are forced to work to help the family financially. There is a sense of desperation and people are resorting to dangerous coping mechanisms,” he added.
The extra funding comes amid growing concern over the worsening living conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, with the Syria crisis in its fifth year.
This extra aid will enable Lebanese health service providers to treat more refugees, the statement said. The high cost of health in Lebanon, which is largely privatized, has made it difficult for refugees to seek the treatment they need. Other funds will provide cash assistance for vulnerable families, who are struggling to pay for food and shelter.
The statement said a vulnerability assessment carried out in June showed that the number of “severely vulnerable” Syrian refugees had doubled in the past year, rising from 29 percent in 2014 to nearly 50 percent in 2015.
Lebanon is hosting over 1.1 million Syrian refugees, which has overwhelmed the country’s public services including health and education, as well as infrastructure and economy.
The additional funding doled out by the EU is part of an additional aid package of 64 million euros to help the most vulnerable Syrians, both in the embattled country and in neighboring countries hosting refugees.
In total the EU has provided 226 million euros to fund humanitarian relief efforts for Syrian refugees.
