Beirut (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The UN is reducing food aid to
the refugee camps in Lebanon. According
to UNHCR (the UN agency for refugees),
funds for 2013 are insufficient to cover the entire budget.
Because of this, at least 200 thousand
refugees will now have reduced aid. These include many
Syrians who fled to Lebanon because
of the war between Bashar al-Assad
and the rebels.
From October UNHCR will offer only "targeted
assistance": 70% of the refugees
will receive food aid, and those most vulnerable will also receive medical aid and educational services.
"Because of the shortage of funds
- said spokeswoman
Roberta Russo - we are forced to
cut some of our direct
lending." "If we do
not see an increase in funding soon - she continued -
we will no longer be able to help needy
families with which we have dealt
with so far, not to mention the new
waves of refugees that could arrive
is the fighting intensifies". In the case of
U.S. military action, the situation is
likely to worsen. Sources tell AsiaNews that speculation
of a military attack against
Syria immediately generated an
increased flow of refugees to
Lebanon which has risen from a few thousand to over 12 thousand per
day.