Rahi from Seoul: Lebanon Incapable of Tolerating Burden of Refugees

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on the international community to help stop the war in the Middle East pointing out that Lebanon can longer tolerate the burden of the exodus of Syrian refugees as a result.

“We urge the international community to speed up the solutions and impose a halt to the wars, fueled by foreign countries, raging in the Middle East,” said al-Rahi from Seoul where he takes part in a peace conference.

“Lebanon can no more tolerate the burden of the happenings in Syria and the repercussions of the Syrian exodus towards it. Not to mention the Palestinian crisis resulting from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (on one hand) and the Israeli – Arab (one on the other). The solutions begin by creating a Palestinian state for the Palestinians who were displaced from their land and to implement all international resolutions related to these conflicts,” he added.

“Lebanon is paying dear price for the political-religious and political-sectarian conflicts whether in Israel or in some Arab countries. The price has reached the point of inability to elect a president for more than two years now,” remarked the Patriarch.

Lebanon is hosting over a million registered Syrian refugees. Unofficially, the number of Syrians who have fled to Lebanon is estimated to be closer to two million. Many of them are unable to find work, and spend much of their day in tented encampments or makeshift accommodation around the country.