MEDIA ADVISORY: Guterres to join EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva on mission to Lebanon, Jordan

High Commissioner Antonio Guterres travels to Beirut this afternoon to join Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, for a two-day mission to Lebanon and Jordan. Their joint mission will include a visit to programs for refugees and host families in the two countries, which together have now received more than 300,000 registered Syrian refugees (Lebanon, 155,873; Jordan, 144,426).

On Saturday morning, Ms. Georgieva and Mr. Guterres will travel to the Bekaa to meet with Syrian refugees as well Lebanese families who are generously sharing their homes and resources. They will also meet various humanitarian agencies involved in aid delivery in the region. Later in the day they are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nagib Miqati and hold a joint press conference before departing for Jordan. High Commissioner Guterres will spend a day in Jordan, departing Sunday afternoon. This will be his second mission to the region in three months.

The European Commission and the member states of the European Union are major supporters of UNHCR programs and together have provided more than half of all international aid for the Syrian crisis.

For further information on this topic, please contact:

• In Amman: Ron Redmond (Regional Spokesman) on mobile +962 79 982 5867
• In Geneva: Melissa Fleming on mobile: +41 79 557 9122
• Adrian Edwards on mobile: +41 79 557 9120
• Sybella Wilkes on mobile: 41 79 557 9138