More Syrians fleeing to Lebanon: UN

A woman walks with her children as a blue sheet provides cover from snipers during sectarian clashes between Sunni Muslims and Alawites in the Sunni area of Tripoli.

A woman walks with her children as a blue sheet provides cover from snipers during sectarian clashes between Sunni Muslims and Alawites in the Sunni area of Tripoli.

Published Aug 31, 2012

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Geneva -

The UN refugee agency says it is seeing a growing number of Syrians fleeing to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, near the Syrian border.

Agency spokesman Adrian Edwards says local authorities report about 2 200 people arrived in the valley over the past week, almost double the weekly average. He told reporters Friday in Geneva that about 400 Syrians are arriving in northern Lebanon each week.

Edwards says one of the agency's biggest concerns is the great demand for shelter across Lebanon, where many refugees are staying in schools that need to be used for children in the next few weeks.

He says Turkey has opened two more refugee camps for Syrians in the past week and is now hosting 80 410 people in 11 camps and schools in its border provinces. - Sapa-AP

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