US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly highlighted her country’s recent pledge of humanitarian support for those affected by the conflict ravaging Syria during a visit to a UN office in Beirut.
“Connelly underscored President Barack Obama’s recent announcement of an additional $155 million in humanitarian assistance to support those affected by the crisis in Syria, including nearly $29 million for Lebanon,” a statement issued by the US embassy on Thursday said.
According to the statement, during her visit to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) registration center in Beirut, the ambassador stressed the importance of President Obama’s announcement, which “brings the US total contribution since the beginning of the conflict to $365 million, of which $51 million supports humanitarian assistance efforts for Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.”
The statement added that Connelly commended the Lebanese government’s “generosity” in its response to the crisis and the support provided for the refugees “who have fled the brutal violence of the regime [of President Bashar al-Assad].”
During her visit, the US envoy met with UNHCR Country Representative Ninette Kelley and with Syrian families who have sought protection in Lebanon from the continuing violence in Syria.
Lebanon is facing difficulties dealing with the increasingly high number of refugees fleeing Syria’s violent uprising against the Assad regime, which has killed more than 60,000 people since its outbreak in March 2011.
Nevertheless, the Lebanese president said earlier on Wednesday that his country was determined to keep the border open to Syrian refugees who have exceeded 200,000 in Lebanon according to reports issued by the UNHCR.
