Coordinator of the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) refugee affairs committee, Salim Idris, said that the responsibility for the calamitous incidents affecting Syrian refugees in Lebanon rests with the international community and the Lebanese authorities. He stressed that the fires taking place in Syrian refugee camps raise serious suspicions as they are coinciding with a agreements being reached by the Lebanese authorities and the Assad regime to force the refugees to return to the regime-held areas.
Idris said that the fire that destroyed dozens of tents in a Syrian refugee camps in Arsal on Wednesday will worsen the suffering of refugees in the Arsal region and across Lebanon. He said that Syrian refugees are being subjected to maltreatment such as physical assault, murder, and torture to death in Lebanese prisons. These violations increased following the racist statements and decisions issued by government agencies that are under the control of the Hezbollah militia, he added.
Moreover, Idris said that international aid to Syrian refugees is declining as many countries are not fulfilling their obligations. He stressed that Syrian refugees are not receiving the financial aid being provided by the United Nations in full, which he considered to be reprehensible and the responsibility of which lies with senior Lebanese officials.
Idris pointed out that the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living in extremely dire conditions especially after the Lebanese authorities began planning alongside the Assad regime to force refugees to return to regime-held areas, which puts their lives at serious risk.
“The international community does not move a finger. It does not assume its responsibilities with regard to refugees, which is forcing the refugees to think about migrating to Europe by sea. We have all witnessed what happened when a boat carrying refugees sank off the coast of Tartus,” he added.
Idris called on the United Nations and all international organizations to rescue and assist Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
(Source: SOC’s media department)
