U.S. Announces Additional $75.5M in Aid for Syria Refugees in Lebanon

The White House announced Monday that the United States is providing more than $75.5 million in additional “life-saving assistance” for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

It is part of a $419 million package of funding to support the operations of the United Nations and other international and non-governmental organizations in several countries, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM),.

This new funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance in response to the Syrian conflict to “more than $1.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2015 and over $4.5 billion since the start of the crisis,” the White House said.

The U.N. estimates that Lebanon is the highest per capita refugee hosting country in the world, with over one million Syrian refugees, in addition to 45,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria.

“Today's announcement increases support to both refugees and Lebanese host communities. With the additional funding, the U.N. and international organization partners in Lebanon can continue to deliver shelter assistance, education, healthcare, cash assistance for emergency needs, and basic relief items like blankets, heaters, and hygiene kits,” the U.S. statement said.

It noted that the additional U.S. funding also supports vulnerable Lebanese communities hosting refugees by “rehabilitating the municipal water and sanitation systems, supporting local community centers, providing supplies and new equipment to health clinics, and improving school facilities.”