AMMON: Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon, Mireille Girard, Tuesday, said the World Bank extends direct assistance to Jordan and Lebanon to help them cope with burdens arising from the Syrian refugee crisis.
She said in an interview that “Syrian refugees are not to blame for the lower economic growth rates in the region, but the war itself as it pushed exports and tourism revenues down”.
Girard added: “At the beginning of the crisis, there were around 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon; making up almost 25 per cent of the country’s population, but the number dropped to one million refugees now.” She noted that the UN body has been working with the Lebanese authorities to take measures to re-start a registration process of Syrian refugees since that would help the UNHCR have a better understanding of their conditions and propose appropriate solutions.
