On Wednesday, Salim Idris, the Coordinator of the Office of Refugee Affairs in the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), presented the office’s work report to the political committee. The report highlighted the dire and ongoing challenges faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon, particularly during this year’s harsh winter.
The report underscored the persistent harassment and abuse faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including the recent attack by a racist group, the Lord’s Army, on a refugee camp near Hermel. It also drew attention to the high levels of unemployment among residents of refugee camps as a result of the collapse of the agricultural sector, which has traditionally employed most Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
In addition, the report noted that the percentage of Syrian families receiving UN aid decreased by 15 percent after the UNHCR removed approximately 35,000 families from the list of recipients of food and financial aid. Despite the challenging circumstances, the report revealed that between 20 and 30 Syrian households still flee Syria for Lebanon every day due to the poor living conditions in their home country.
The report also addressed the increased suffering of those displaced in liberated areas after the earthquake disaster, which caused thousands of people to lose their homes and left them living in tents, waiting for aid to survive.
Finally, Idris spoke out against the offensive statements made by Lebanese Patriarch Beshara Al-Rai against Syrian refugees, stating that such comments are incompatible with the message of religions and the religious discourse that seeks to spread peace and love among peoples, rather than fomenting racism and hatred. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
