Lebanese hospital takes Syrian newborn hostage until family pays $1200

(Zaman Al Wasl)- A Syrian newborn has been taken hostage by a Lebanese hospital as his displaced family can not pay the last $1200 of treatment expenses, activists said Saturday.

Family of Mohamed Issa al Kholi, who fled the central Syrian town of Krak des Chevaliers to Lebanese city of Akkar, has found no assistance so far to get the baby out of the hospital after 7 days of 'detention', according to activists. 

UNHCR has covered 75% of the treatment costs and Lebanese Islamic society paid $ 1000, family said.

 Kholi's case was not the first inhumane abuse against Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Last February, another Lebanese hospital held an infant 'captive' until his death as his family was unable to pay the expenses.

About 13.5 million people in Syria are now in need of humanitarian assistance and some sort of protection –an increase of 1.2 million in just 10 months, the UN aid chief said.

Since 2011, four million Syrians have fled abroad. Millions more have been internally displaced, while at least 250,000 have been killed.