Lebanon urges Arab states to house Syrian refugees

Lebanon has called on the Arab countries to “share the brunt” of housing Syrian refugees who have fled the ongoing crisis in the country.

“We urge convincing the largest number of Arab countries to share the burden and the number of Syrian refugees,” Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said in a speech at the 25th Arab League summit in the Kuwaiti capital cityof Kuwait City on Tuesday.

The Lebanese president went on to say that housing Syrian refugees has had a negative effect on Lebanon’s economy.

“The long-term negative consequences on Lebanon’s economy require many years of care and follow-up,” he noted.

Suleiman further called for a political solution to end the crisis in Syria.

“Lebanon is concerned with the developments in Syria and we are keen on supporting dialogue and communication to reach a political solution in the country,” he said.

On March 18, Ross Mountain, the Acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, called on the international community to support the Arab country as the number of Syrian refugees continues to rise there.
“It is imperative that the international community helps bear the brunt of the pressure on Lebanon,” he said.
The UN official further noted that the number of Syria refugees in Lebanon is on track to reaching 1.5 million by the end of this year, saying, “It is unthinkable that it (Lebanon) should bear the brunt of this pressure without massive international support.”
The Beirut government has repeatedly called upon the international community to fulfill their pledges to help Lebanon accommodate the high number of the Syrian refugees escaping the violence in their homeland, which heavily impacts the Lebanese economy.
In June 2013, Sleiman urged the UN Security Council to pay more attention to the burden that the influx of Syrian refugees has had on Lebanon.
On September 30 last year, Lebanon’s Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour pleaded for more international support to tackle the huge influx of the refugees from Syria.
“We are calling on the international community to bear its responsibility,” he said.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – are supporting the militants operating inside the country.