Moqbel: EU Refugee Aid Needed Now, Not in a Year 

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel has urged the European Union to speed up assistance for the huge number of refugees from war-ravaged Syria that Lebanon is now harboring.

Moqbel said on Monday that he has appealed to Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to convey the message to other EU member states to speed up assistance because "we need the help now and not in one year."

Moqbel said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart that Lebanon cannot provide for the refugees' basic needs like medical care, education, electricity and food without help.

Lebanon is home to around 1.5 million refugees fleeing Syria's civil war.

Moqbel also asked that the EU hasten aid to Lebanon's armed forces in order to help them fight "terrorists all around our border."