More than 200,000 people have left Lebanon for Syria since the start of the war

More than 200,000 people, the vast majority of them Syrians, have crossed the border between Lebanon and Syria since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah in early March, the UN refugee agency (Unhcr) said on Tuesday.

"Nearly a month after the intensification of hostilities in Lebanon, Syria has seen a sharp increase in the number of people crossing its border with Lebanon. Between March 2 and 27, more than 200,000 people entered Syria through the three official crossing points," said Aseer al-Madaien, Unhcr's acting representative in Syria, during a press briefing held via videoconference in Geneva.