Syrian refugees hit million mark in Lebanon: UN

The UNHCR registers 2,500 new refugees daily in Lebanon, more than one person per minute

In this March 12, 2014 photo, Syrian refugee children walk between their tents on their way to a makeshift school at their refugee encampment in the Lebanese-Syrian border town of Majdal Anjar, eastern Bekaa valley, Lebanon.

The U.N. refugee agency says the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has exceeded one million, calling it a “devastating milestone” for the tiny Arab country with depleted resources and an explosive sectarian mix of its own.

Three years after Syria’s conflict started, Lebanon has become the country with the highest per-capita concentration of refugees worldwide, struggling to cope with a massive crisis that has become an unprecedented challenge for aid agencies.

Also, Syria’s sectarian war has frequently spilled over into Lebanon, with deadly clashes between factions supporting opposing sides in the fighting next door.

The UNHCR said on Thursday the a million Syrians are a huge burden for Lebanon, which has 4.5 million people.

The agency registers 2,500 new refugees daily in Lebanon more than one person per minute.