Over 716,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon

BEIRUT - The UN's refugee agency said on Sunday that the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon receiving aid has surpassed the threshold of 716,000 after an increase of 13,000 in the past week. ?

Among the refugees, about 606,000 have been registered so far, while more than 109,000 are still waiting to be registered, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

About 200,000 Syrian refugees were registered in northern Lebanon, 206,000 in the eastern Bekaa region, 119,000 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and 79,000 in southern Lebanon, it added.

Amid threats of a US-led strike against Syria, Lebanon witnessed a huge influx of Syrians in the past few days, but most of them were not refugees.

UNHCR representative in Lebanon Ninette Kelly has said the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is expected to surpass one million by the end of 2013.

Lebanon has frequently called on the UN Security Council and International donors to help it shoulder the burden of hosting the Syrian refugees on its lands.

The Lebanese government has adopted strict measures on the entrance of Syrian refugees, requiring them to hold a valid identity card or passport, which in a way limits their influx.