Daily Star : 768 Syrian refugees under 4 years old, November 5th 2011

BEIRUT: The U.N. High Commission for Refugees has reported that 106 displaced Syrians have newly registered with the agency in northern Lebanon during the last week.

In its latest report on the refugee situation in the region, the UNHCR states that there are now 3,505 Syrians registered with the agency and with Lebanon’s High Relief Commission.

The weekly report, for the first time, includes a breakdown of the displaced people by age, the biggest proportion being those under 4 years of age, representing 768 of the refugees.

The next largest group, at 678 refugees, is made up of children between 5-11 years of age.

The Lebanese Education Ministry of is facilitating the enrollment of displaced children in local public schools, and the UNHCR is covering the costs of school fees, books, uniforms, notebooks, and stationary. So far, 495 registered students have enrolled in local public schools.

There is currently the highest number of refugees in northern Lebanon since an initial influx of around 5,000 in March, when the Syrian government crackdown on protesters began. Many subsequently returned to Syria.

Those who remain, the report says, “are unwilling to return until stability is restored in their Syrian villages.”

“Many families have been deeply affected by the events that caused them to flee,” it adds. 

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Nov-05/153238-768-syrian-refugees-under-4-years-old.ashx#axzz1d0cFSEdV