BEIRUT, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The international community has promised to help Lebanon settle refugees that fled the Syrian civil war, said a statement released by Lebanon's presidential office on Thursday.
The international community "vowed to join their efforts to support Lebanon's sovereignty and the state institutions, and help boost the sectors that are most suffered from the Syrian crisis, including reinforcing the Lebanese Armed Forces and aid the refugees and the local communities that took the burden of hosting them in addition to financially support the government," according to the statement.
The international community held a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday night to rally support for the Lebanese government to cope with influx of Syrian refugees.
The World Bank estimated that the Syrian crisis will cost Lebanon 7.5 billion U.S. dollars from 2012 to 2014.
The United Nations said there are already 760,000 Syrians registered in Lebanon and the number will reach one million by the end of this year. However, the Lebanese government's estimation put the figure at 1.2 million since many refugees do not register.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said at the meeting "this aggravating burden now represents a true existential crisis in view of the security and social and economic repercussions."
During his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York, Suleiman was informed that Moscow will grant Lebanon 5.6 million dollars, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama also announced 74 million dollars of extra humanitarian assistance for Lebanon in a meeting with Suleiman on Tuesday.
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