Miqati Urges Establishment of Camps inside Syria to Host Refugees
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati reiterated on Wednesday his call on the international community to set up camps inside Syrian territories to host the refugees after they posed a huge burden on Lebanon.
“The international community should take seriously the idea to establish safe camps inside Syria,” Miqati said at the international fundraising conference in Kuwait.
He lamented that the war in Syria had severe repercussions on the Lebanese economy, leading to a drop in investments and a paralysis in trade and tourism.
Studies carried out between 2012 and 2014 have shown that the GDP shrank 7.5 billion dollars, costing the treasury 5.1 billion dollars, he said.
Miqati warned that unemployment doubled, reaching 20 percent mainly in poor areas.
Lebanon is in desperate need for humanitarian assistance to the refugees and assistance to the economy, he said.
Its urgent needs for 2014 to avoid a further deterioration in services go beyond 800 million dollars, Miqati added.
He thanked Kuwait and its Emir and all the donor countries, hoping their efforts would lead to a political solution to end Syria's crisis.
Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah opened the conference with a pledge of $500 million towards an unprecedented $6.5 billion appeal by the United Nations to aid millions of Syrians.
Addressing Arabs and the international community at the end of his speech, Miqati said: “Don't forget Lebanon …. Preserve Lebanon.”
He also urged them to keep Lebanon at a distance from the regional turmoil.
After the conference, Miqati held talks with the Kuwaiti Emir.
A statement issued by Miqati's press office said discussions focused on bilateral ties.
He also held separate talks with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and a number of other officials.
15 January 2014, 11:16
134
where in syria ? qusayr ? qalamoun ? homs ? zabadani ? get real...
15 January 2014, 11:59
122
Well a no flight zone wouldnot hurt.. I heard assad is bombing residential area with airstrikes and scud missils...
15 January 2014, 16:43
103
I thought Bashar was winning his war so Syria is "most certainly safe" and refugees are no longer coming to Lebanon right ?
15 January 2014, 18:14
88
FT bro, I caught your drift, but back to a more serious note, contrary to what is wrongly perceived, there are many safe places in Syria, especially the ones held by the regime, they are considered safer. People I know travel there several times a week.
15 January 2014, 11:18
612
What is Salafi Arabia doing to help the refugees? All those billions they spend on financing the FSA-Al Qaeda jihadist terrorists and their suicide bombs, and yet they dont want to spend a single dollar to aid the refugees?
15 January 2014, 11:37
812
@ imagine_1979
It is common knowledge that the KSA controls the terrorists in Syria. It was a well covered event that saw the KSA take control of the file from Qatar as events were going very badly.
This was the pivot that saw Qatar’s Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani step down and the beginning of the dismemberment of the Muslim Brotherhood across MENA.
There is no doubt that the KSA is the primary patron of violence, destruction and death across MENA and beyond to the Caucasus. Bandar bin Sultan even offered Putin security guarantees for the Sochi Games.
15 January 2014, 11:54
712
Saudi Arabia edges out Qatar for control over Syrian rebel support
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jun-03/219212-saudi-arabia-edges-out-qatar-for-control-over-syrian-rebel-support.ashx#ixzz2qSYGmh93
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
15 January 2014, 11:58
612
Daily Star - Lebanon
"“ Saudi Arabia is now formally in charge of the Syria issue,” said a senior rebel military commander in one of northern Syria’s border provinces where Qatar has until now been the main supplier of arms to those fighting President Bashar Assad."
15 January 2014, 12:01
134
There is no question that saudi is helping rebels/fsa and co.. But where did he get that it is not sending money and humanitarian aid?...
15 January 2014, 11:21
145
"He also urged them to keep Lebanon at a distance from the regional turmoil.
So, the international community is forcing Lebanon to send HA sectarian fighters to Syria or twisting the army's arm to keep a blind eye and facilitate HA war in Syria?
The Lebanese and their government are the ones to blame for Lebanon's misery and nobody else.
15 January 2014, 12:20
413
just take them(refugees) to the gulf countries
do not fall in the same trap of Palestinian refugees ie there is 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and none in the entire gulf area ???!!!
15 January 2014, 12:22
114
Every country in the world (even switzerland) is acting for it own benefit, no one (no, no, iran included) is doing charity work...
The question is what are we doing with our country? What benefits?....
But i'm no saying things u don't alreaddy know....
15 January 2014, 12:28
612
The reports I've seen show that Turkey and Jordan, especially Jordan are receiving by far the greatest share of refugee support. These two countries are of course allies of the KSA in their terrorist campaign.
Lebanon on the other hand is having real trouble getting their fair share of donations. The figures I see Lebanon is hosting the largest share of refugees at some 700,000 to reports of over 1 million people. Where is Lebanon's help ???
15 January 2014, 12:32
123
Well we kept saying that there is no syrian refugies in lebanon for more than a year, we refuse to guve them refugy status (souweh do u remember)
We have also refused to make camps for them as in jordan and turky so that UN can be dirrectly involved..
And now they live in shit, sleeping on the streets in beirut and the rest of ghe country, and now we wake up....
Don't u think our momana3a governement is a litle to blame? Just a litle?....
So sad.... And so...
15 January 2014, 14:33
610
Soon all these refugees ( Palestinians included ) will over take not only our country but also our own homes in our villages , towns & cities . What's next ? Your own family & livelihood before we all react & protest ? We should do what the Australians are doing , throw all refugees behind bars , ie , detention centres years on end !
Signed Wolf .
15 January 2014, 16:02
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Someday we might become refugies, we alreaddy passwd by this for most of us, i only wish that we wont be treated as our gov treated those....
15 January 2014, 16:19
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+1000.
Moreover, most syrian refugees in lebanon are coming from regions where HA raged, so they are also responsible.
Had they not invaded Qusayr, Homs, Qalamoun, Zabadani, we would have less refugees...
15 January 2014, 17:20
112
it's not a university it's an institute of technology/college but I'm not sure u can pay the tuition fees for ur parrot, u'll also need a EU visa which I'm not sure u could get...
But maybe u're right, maybe all the qusayris/homsis in Arsal and Bekaa are there for the tourism...
15 January 2014, 17:41
100
I though we in Lebanon were an Arab country part of the greatest Arab nation.
So let's get out of the Arab league first and nurture our phenician heritage. Until then, we are just a little part of a broader Arab empire and have no say about our identity and future.
15 January 2014, 17:51
89
This is one of the most intelligent things that Mr. Miqati has said in a long time. In fact the idea is nothing new, last year some top foreign politicians suggested the very same thing. To secure some buffer zones inside Syria to be protected by something like the UN, then set up camps in which some durable infrastructure could be built to provide the Syrian refugees with all their basic needs. In this way, the huge pressures will be alleviated on Lebanon all round, security, economic etc... The animosity between host and guest is now so deep, especially in these given hard economic times in Lebanon, that it won't be long till a major problem will arise. This matter is now well beyond our hands, all Arab and foreign countries should now come in to solve what is now a timebomb.
15 January 2014, 21:44
82
bashar refused, he doesnt want to cede sovereignty, ie his right to barrel bomb kids...
Anyway it would help in iraq, jordan and turkey's cases, not lebanon thanks to our beloved iranian militia...Check on the map...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Syrian_civil_war_detailed_map
15 January 2014, 19:51
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unless under UN protection, bashar is capable of bombing the refugee camps by pretending they host rebels like he regularly bombs hospitals... this is the logic of the friend of M8ers....
15 January 2014, 20:12
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You're right @peace, this is why the UN keeps coming up on everyone's lips because when a buffer zone under their control is created, then no one armed person is allowed to enter their areas of control. This is done for several reasons, one of them to dispel any excuse by anyone side to say that armed people entered such areas. Then once a buffer zone is created, it thus becomes fully protected ground, sea and air by the UN. I am one who definitely supports the idea of buffer zones for Syrian refugees, it does solve many problems otherwise left to simmer.
15 January 2014, 23:56
05
Wow! This guy came up with a proposition re. something that really matters.
