Derbas Denies Claims that Syrian Refugee Camps Will Be Set up in Lebanon
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas denied recent reports saying that the United Nations is discussing with Lebanese authorities the possibility of setting up camps for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, reported the Kuwaiti daily al-Seyassah on Sunday.
He described the reports as “inaccurate,” saying that the Lebanese government, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, is in constant contact with international organizations and UNHCR over the case of the refugees.
These organizations confirmed that they will set up the camps only with the government's approval, explained the minister.
The government has not yet given the go ahead for such measures, he clarified.
Derbas revealed that Prime Minister Tammam Salam had tasked him with devising a roadmap over the case of refugees.
He did not give details about its contents, but said that it will soon be tackled by the ministerial committee in charge of the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The old cabinet did not have a clear plan on how to tackle the refugee file, he noted, adding that some Lebanese powers still refuse to set up camps for the displaced.
“These refusals will however be eliminated through dialogue, discussions, and understanding,” Derbas stated.
Moreover, he revealed that the cabinet will propose to the U.N. setting up camps within Syrian territories that are not witnessing fighting.
Meanwhile, Public Information Associate for UNHCR Joelle Eid told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday that the “unprecedented rise in the number of Syrian refugees makes it necessary to set up camps.”
“Such a step however requires a political decision,” she remarked.
The UNHCR and the Social Affairs Ministry have conducted studies over the areas where these camps can be set.
Most of them will likely be located in the North and eastern Bekaa region, said Eid.
Media reports said on Saturday, that Director of UNHCR's Middle East and North Africa Bureau Amin Awad stated that the U.N. is discussing with Lebanese authorities the possibility of setting up camps for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The proposal calls for establishing the camps in Lebanese territories away from the border with Syria and the dividing lines between the warring sides to limit the presence of refugees in several locations, he explained.
More than one million Syrians have registered as refugees in Lebanon after fleeing war in their country.
The conflict has killed more than 150,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while half of the population is estimated to have fled their homes.
M.T.
11 May 2014, 09:38
63
I dont think any country in the world has paid as big a price for refugees as Lebanon has. We've had Palestinian refugees for the past 60+ years, and what did they do? They started a civil war and killed thousands of Lebanese. Then they go off and start the skirmish in Nahr El Bared in 2007 which left hundreds of our soldiers dead.
Now we have more than a million Syrian refugees that are straining our resources, while the wealthy Gulf Arab states dont take in a single refugee but instead sit back and laugh at us. When is enough, enough? Why do we always have to take care of other people's problems and wars? How do we know that, if camps are set up for the Syrian refugees, the wont still be here 70 years from now, as with the Palestinians?
11 May 2014, 09:53
23
Karim
I couldn't agree with you more. For once you and I agree on one issue. Enough is enough. These rich gulf people better start giving some help rather than financing a destructive war. Their time is coming They are next
11 May 2014, 11:23
21
I think that's something the majority of lebanese can agree on and papi only the only thing. Lol and this is one of the first times I agree with karim_ the anti alqaeda personnel
11 May 2014, 23:09
10
coolmec, khalijis already financing every bit in Lebanon, from army to turism, finance, etc... + employing 300k+ lebanese...
If ur governement was blocking hizbos we wouldnt have as much refugees...
15 May 2014, 00:28
00
we lebanese made a great acheivement in kicking out the syrians but we had to kick out all that Lebanese politicians from that period especially those who used to take their orders from the Syrian regime ( now 14 of March )
8of march want to make of Lebanon a syrian state no doubt
but you ( 14 of March ) already started to make of our country an arabic state on the Saoudian standards ..when you licenced the most fanatic partys in Lebanon .. like (salafis ) and ( Liberation party .. state of Lebanon ) .. and gave the lebanese nationality to 300.000 sunni syrians and made of Lebanon the first country in History where the rate of analphabetism increase instead of decreasing
15 May 2014, 00:29
00
and i mean we had to kick out all the politicians with no exception those of 8th of March or those of 14th of March
11 May 2014, 10:28
20
I don't think you can compare this to the Palestinian exodus in 1948 because the Syrians have a home to go back to, while the Palestinians did not and thus they have the camps. Hopefully in a year or so, these one million Syrians are back in their country that is not torn by war.
15 May 2014, 00:12
00
..the huge number of Syrians fleeing into lebanon is another face of invading our country, they already built illegal houses and commerce on lebanese soil .
15 May 2014, 00:13
00
since 3000 years and those syrians are dreaming of swallowing Lebanon , at that time they were called Assyrians .. these people learn in their fake history book that lebanon was part of Syria and sikes-Picot splitted it from syria ,as if Lebanon was part of it before or during the ottoman's occupation !!.. they speak of a fertile crescent , which a greek designation given by a foreigner in the 7th century BC on the region where same language(Aramaic) was spoken.. and they feign to ignore that the Greeks themselves distinguished the Phoenicians and never called them Syrians .. they speak of the GREAT SYRIA .. another designation made by the foreign roman Emperor Pompey 64BC when he invaded Syria - Phoenicia - palestine .. and they ignore that these designations disappeared when the invadors left, and our country got back its sovregnity
