Suleiman Calls for More International Aid to Countries where Syrians Sought Refuge

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Friday that it was important to increase humanitarian aid by international organizations to Syrian refugees.

Suleiman briefed EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis response Kristalina Georgieva the efforts exerted by the Lebanese government to help the displaced Syrians.

But he called for increased assistance by countries, agencies and organizations to the Syrian and Palestinian refugees in the neighboring countries.

Earlier this month, the Lebanese government completed a strategy to help 130,000 people at a cost of $178 million.

The strategy came despite an increase in the number of refugees which reached to more than 150,000, according to figures released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees last week.

The UNHCR also said that the number of Syrian refugees registered in neighboring countries and North Africa has passed half a million

As of Monday, there were 154,387 Syrian refugees registered or in the process of being registered in Lebanon, 142,664 in Jordan, 136,319 in Turkey, 64,449 in Iraq and 11,740 in North Africa, according to the agency.