Lebanon Asks Security Council to Share Refugees' Burden, Salam Stresses: No Syrians Will Be Deported
Lebanon's envoy to the United Nations Nawwaf Salam requested on Thursday sharing the burden of Syria's refugees with Arab states, confirming that no Syrians have been deported back to their country.
"The number of Syrians in Lebanon could reach 1.2 million by the end of 2013 and many Palestinian families are expected to enter Lebanon,” Salam warned at a U.N. Security Council session that discussed the situation of Syria's children in the midst of the country's conflict.
He added: “The huge numbers of refugees are not only an indication of the gravity of Syria's conflict, but also of the international community's failure to stop violence and the violation of human rights.”
"The Syrian people deserve that the U.N. Security Council deals with their suffering in a manner different from this shameful paralysis.”
Salam reiterated Lebanon's support for the neighboring country's unity.
"We stress on the policy of disassociation but this does not mean neutralizing ourselves from our duties towards the suffering of the Syrian people.”
"Lebanon does not forget how Syrians stood by the Lebanese's side and accommodated thousands during the barbaric Israeli assault against Lebanon in July 2006,” he noted.
Salam elaborated: “Lebanon will not close its border in front of any individual or family seeking refuge and will not deport any Syrian back to their country. We are committed to providing protection, medication and education to refugees.”
"But we have the right to ask for dividing the burden as Lebanon is the smallest country and has the least of potentials but hosts the largest number of refugees.”
"This is negatively reflected on the social and economical situation in Lebanon as we are experiencing inflation and an increase in rent prices,” he remarked.
Salam stressed on President Michel Suleiman's request during the Doha conference for Syrian refugees, expressing that financial support is not enough to deal with this issue, calling for redistribution of Syrians and for the establishment of U.N.-protected camps inside Syria in areas away from conflict zones.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees announced earlier in April that the number of Syrian refugees who fled the turmoil in their country to Lebanon have soared to more than 400,000.
over 11 years
Leave us alone we have enough unwanted long overdue their stay, Partition please.
over 11 years
Partition really is only the answer. Two different people, two different mindsets, two different cultures. One group wants the Nusra Front to rise to power in Syria so they can merge the two countries and promote a shared ideology and culture of Wahabism, hate, destruction, and "jihad" against the "kuffar". The other group in Lebanon just wants to live in peace and maintain Lebanon's freedom, democracy, and sovereignty.
Why do these 2 groups of people have to be living together? It makes no sense.
over 11 years
Put them all on a boat in the middle of the ocean along with all the aounieh, hizballah, and all traitors to Lebanon and light the boat on fire!
over 11 years
Where are the funds pledged from the GCC terrorist countries. They are the main culprits behind the rise of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon because of their arming and funding of the FSA-Al Qaeda terrorists. Strangely enough, they are also responsible for the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon because of their arming and funding of the PLO back in the 70s to eradicate the Christians.
Down with GCC terrorism! Down with GCC Wahabism!
over 11 years
Hohoho yes they are!
over 11 years
Agreed Karim, thumbs up for you!!
over 11 years
Recent history speaks for itself. Only a few years ago, the rhetoric of the phalanges and their likes was crystal clear, today they dont dare to speak in such terms about muslims so they hide behind phrases such as "syrians and palestinians". How many lebanese muslims were killed by the phalange and their likes simply for being muslim. Tens of thousands! Yes lebanon is for lebanese so go back to syria (mar marouns land) or yemen (the country of origin of many maronites such as the singer elissa or simply just shut up and realize that lebanese are immigrants who settled here.
over 11 years
Lets start un-naturalizing every non-lebanese with a lebanese identity and you will see how there wont be any lebanese left. Especially in the lebanese christian community which has hundreds of thousands of palestinians and syrians in it who were naturalized since lebanons independence, and if we count those who lived here before independence and got naturalized 3a ases that they are original lebanese then ya habibi, that number would rise even more. Grow up! Jesus did not teach you to lie, or to be a racist nor a hypocrite, nor arrogant.
over 11 years
No wonder you don't have a Lebanese passport , going by your comments I'm assuming you will never get either !! Not so happy future leb ? Go back to your camp & if your happy then go & reclaim your grandfathers country , stop meddling in Lebanon's affairs , you have no rights to even live here let alone have an opinion !
over 11 years
"you have no rights to even live here let alone have an opinion ! "
freedom the M8 way... LOL, pathetic guy.
and he criticizes GCC? he is worse than them! so comic and stupid....
a well balanced statement that makes sense and in lebanon's interest!