Brussels, 30/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 28 May, the European Commission announced additional aid of €21 million for the Lebanese communities hosting Syrian refugees. This is to mitigate the impact of the Syrian crisis in Lebanon.
A sum of €14 million will be allocated for improving the effectiveness of solid waste management in the areas of Lebanon most affected by the influx of Syrian refugees. The funding will improve waste disposal services and enhance the overall management by local administrations in the solid waste management sector.
The other €7 million will focus on helping local economies in the Lebanese hosting communities to recover by providing livelihoods and job opportunities in the agricultural sector through improvement of the productivity of small-scale sustainable agriculture. The project will support inter alia the implementation of agricultural infrastructure that will improve water quality and irrigation distribution. Farmers will also be provided with business advisory services.
With this additional support, the total amount of financial assistance provided by the EU to Lebanon in relation to the Syrian crisis has reached over €354 million. There are reportedly over a million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. (CG)