Syrian refugee sets himself ablaze at UN office in Lebanon

A Syrian refugee in Lebanon set himself on fire outside a UN office in desperation at aid getting cut off to his family, suffering serious burns.

Refugee agency UNHCR and the World Food Programme tells AFP that the man — named by family as 43-year-old father of four Ryad Khalaf Zibou — “set himself alight” at a UN compound in the northern city of Tripoli.

“This tragic incident underscores the pressures and difficulties facing many refugees, who are becoming increasingly vulnerable and who — in rare cases — resort to such desperate acts,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

“UN staff attended to the incident, provided first aid support and rushed him to the hospital where he is in a serious but stable condition.”

Doctor Gabriel al-Saba tells AFP that Zibou suffered third-degree burns over around a third of his body and will require at least two months of treatment.

— AFP