The European Commission (EU) announced $27 million in additional financial assistance to Lebanon to help mitigate the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in the country. This support will benefit host communities in regions that are most affected by the influx of Syrian refugees.

The new EU support aims to reduce tensions caused by health and environmental hazards and to revive the local economy by creating job opportunities for vulnerable groups. This will be achieved by upgrading solid waste management capacities and improving the productivity of small-scale sustainable agriculture.

The financial aid consists of two programs. The first one, worth $9 million, will focus on supporting the implementation of agricultural infrastructure projects that will improve irrigation distribution and quality of water and will provide individual farmers with business advisory services. The project will also assist them in designing business plans, preparing cash flow projections, and loan applications for a specific fund.

The second program, worth $18 million, aims to increase and improve waste disposal services and enhance the overall management of local administrations in the solid waste management sector.

The new assistance package brings the total amount of financial aid provided by the EU to the country in relation to the Syrian crisis to more than $460 million.