BEIRUT - US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday, where he will pledge more aid to help Syria's neighbors deal with an influx of refugees and press Lebanese parliamentarians to swiftly choose a new president.
Lebanon has been unable to agree on a consensus candidate for president, creating a political vacuum at a time when the country is struggling to contain domestic sectarian violence while also grappling with a flood of Syrian refugees and declining economic growth.
"It is an important period now to show support for the Lebanese government," a senior State Department official told reporters.
The State Department said Kerry will announce more than $290 million in additional aid for UN agencies and non-governmental organizations working with the nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.