Lebanon Businessnews News
 

The US pledges $51 million to Lebanon
Aid for communities and camps
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U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, pledged $290 million in refugee aid for the region during a June 5 visit, with Lebanon receiving $51 million from that total sum.

In a press conference during his one-day visit to Beirut, Kerry said: “I call on the international donors who have made pledges to deliver on those pledges. It is important, critically important to support Lebanon…”

He added that the crisis has put an extreme burden on, “communities, puts a burden on schools, puts a burden on infrastructure.”

According to the UN and the State, there are 100,000 Syrian children attending local schools.  In April 2014, the UN officially registered the millionth Syrian refugee.

UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres said earlier: “The influx of a million refugees would be massive for any country. For Lebanon, a small nation beset by internal difficulties, the impact is staggering.”

In total, including the latest pledge, the U.S. will have allocated $400 million in assistance to the country.

The economic impact to the country was estimated in recent remarks by World Bank Group President Jim Young Kim at $7.5 billion between 2012 and 2014.  

Reported by TK Maloy
Date Posted: Jun 05, 2014
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