EU adds $43 million in humanitarian aid

The European Commission (EU) will give an additional $43 million in humanitarian aid to support Syrian refugees and their host communities in Lebanon.

The funding will help prepare the most vulnerable refugees for the approaching winter. It will provide assistance for shelter rehabilitation, heating and healthcare support for some of the most needy families, which will allow them access to secondary healthcare in hospitals.

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides said: "We have to support Lebanon for being a generous host to such a large number of Syrian refugees.”

“We are now stepping up our assistance to those most in need at this critical time,” he said. Syrian refugees account for a quarter of Lebanon's population, according to the EU statement.

Lebanon is home to the highest refugee per capita rate in the world and comes second only after Turkey in terms of absolute numbers of Syrian refugees.