Lebanon Seeks More Aid For Syrian Refugees
Lebanon is looking to the international community for aid to cope with the influx of Syrian refugees, writes Nasser Chararah.
At Kuwait's conference to support displaced Syrians, Michel Suleiman, president of the Lebanese Republic, presented a plan that included not only Lebanon's financial demands to help shelter the displaced, but also a vision of how to formulate a collective Arab solution to the crisis. The problems posed by the flow of Syrian refugees into Lebanon are not limited to the financial cost, despite the importance of this matter, but also involves other risks, such as that this wave of refugees could affect Lebanon's security and disrupt its political and demographic stability.
On the eve of the conference, Lebanese diplomatic channels explained the country's overall vision on this matter to influential regional and global countries. A source from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry spoke about these communications to Al-Monitor, and noted the most important ideas put forth by the Lebanese side.
In the run-up to the conference — which was held on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 — Lebanese diplomatic figures intensified their efforts in international decision-making centers, urging leaders to support Lebanon’s demands at the conference in order to help it take in the rising number of displaced Syrians.
Lebanon is mainly arguing that among Syria’s neighboring countries, Lebanon remains the primary host of Syrian refugees. Although these figures are unofficial, the number of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is estimated at 200,000 and is expected to reach 300,000 by mid-2013, should the Syrian crisis drag on.
