STORY: UN responds to refugee influx into Syria amid Israel-Hezbollah conflict
SHOOTING TIME: Sept. 30, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 1, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:02
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: MILITARY/POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AMBROSE CHIU, Senior repatriation officer for UNHCR in Syria
3. various of the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): AMBROSE CHIU, Senior repatriation officer for UNHCR in Syria
5. various of the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing

STORYLINE:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mobilizing resources to address an influx of both Lebanese citizens and displaced Syrians crossing into Syria, following Israel's military escalation in Lebanon, a UNHCR official informed Xinhua on Monday.
   
Ambrose Chiu, senior repatriation officer for UNHCR in Syria, confirmed at the Jdeidat Yabous border crossing, located in the countryside near Damascus, that the UN agency is actively collaborating with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to provide immediate assistance to incoming Lebanese refugees and Syrian returnees.
   
On the morning of Sept. 24, UNHCR observed a significant number of people approaching the borders, with many arriving on foot after a long journey. As the situation evolved, UNHCR teams quickly began offering basic support to the growing number of arrivals, Chiu added.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AMBROSE CHIU, Senior repatriation officer for UNHCR in Syria
"There was a lot of congestion, there were a lot of cars, and there were a lot of people coming in. It took some time to process. The needs were quite high and since then, things have gotten a little better. Two days ago, there was another escalation and so yesterday and the day before, we saw more people coming in."
   
Lebanon, which has been grappling with ongoing tensions with Israel, has experienced a sharp rise in refugees fleeing the conflict.
   
According to a source from Syria's General Directorate of Migration and Passports, over 52,000 Lebanese citizens and 125,000 displaced Syrians have crossed into Syria since the onset of Israeli military actions last week.
   
The Syrian government has pledged to provide comprehensive support to facilitate the entry process for the incoming families.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): AMBROSE CHIU, Senior repatriation officer for UNHCR in Syria
"Syria has been undergoing more than 13 years of conflict and now in Lebanon, we are seeing that and the Syrian people opened up their doors. I think that is something that is a story worth telling."

Syria and Lebanon share approximately 375 km of border, with the Jdeidat Yabous crossing, known as the Masnaa crossing in Lebanon, serving as one of the five major routes between the two countries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)