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.
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