Food Aid Project: 16,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon benefit from Chinese aid

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01:57

China is helping Lebanon to ease the burden of Syrian refugees. More than 16-thousand people have benefited from a Chinese food aid project. CGTN's Zhao Yunjie has the details.

Mission accomplished. The United Nations has recognized China's efforts with Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

In 2016, China and UN World Food Programme signed a deal to provide two million dollars in aid to Syrian refugees in both Lebanon and Jordan.

One-fourth of the money was given to Lebanon. The joint aid project targets the poorest in refugee groups.

Syrian refugees received monthly debit cards worth 27 dollars. Refugees were able to use the cards in designated stores to buy daily necessities.

DOMINIK R. HEINRICH REPRESENTATIVE AND COUNTRY DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME "The people of China have provided to the WFP last year in helping to alleviate the pressure that exists on Lebanon. They are saying that food is the sky, and we try to provide tha clear sky here."

Since 2016, China has been involved with the refugee problem when Premier Li Keqiang offered one hundred million dollars in aid to deal with the global refugee crisis. However, Beijing believes a political solution is the key to ending the refugee crisis in Syria.

WANG KEJIAN CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO LEBANON "We are helping those refugees to maintain their basic living conditions in cooperation with the United Nations. Meanwhile, we will work with international communities to push for political solutions to deal with the Syrian crisis. This is the only answer to the current refugee crisis."

The UN says nearly 1.5 million Syrian refugees are now living in Lebanon. 70 percent of them are living under the poverty line.

The money from the UN has become the only means of support for the refugees. In 2017, China offered one million in aid to more than 80 thousand Syrian children seeking refuge in Lebanon. Zhao Yunjie, CGTN.