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Support for Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Monday 24 September 2012, 4:00PM

By Murray McCully

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Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced that New Zealand will provide $500,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help Syrian refugees and people affected by conflict in Lebanon.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross is providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to more than 260,000 conflict affected people in Lebanon, including Syrians who have fled the conflict in Syria,” Mr McCully says.

“Civil unrest in Lebanon is creating a deepening crisis for these people, many of whom have already fled fighting in Syria.

“The shocking violence in Syria continues to escalate. More the 25,000 civilians have been killed and more than 1.2 million people have been displaced.

“With no clear end to this conflict in sight the refugee situation is likely to deteriorate further and international action is required.”

New Zealand has already provided $1.5 million in funding to support refugee populations in Turkey and Jordan.