At a meeting of the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) political committee, the Office of Refugee Affairs presented a report on the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the impact of the Beirut explosion on their conditions.
Coordinator of the Office, Amal Sheikho, said that the Lebanese government is focusing its response on the impact of the explosion on the Lebanese people while overlooking the situation of Syrian refugees despite the fact that the victims included more than 40 Syrian nationals.
Sheikho pointed out that the Lebanese government continues to show lack of seriousness when dealing with the problems affecting the Syrian refugees on its territory.
She indicated that the Lebanese authorities have recently expatriated 301 Syrian refugees to the regime-held areas in clear violation of international law and the rights of refugees as they will be at serious risk of arrest, torture, and execution by the Assad regime.
Moreover, Sheikho said that Syrian refugees in Lebanon continue to face difficulties obtaining residency permits and other legal papers. She said that they are also prevented from building better tents that would protect them from floods, snow and rain.
Sheikho called for providing protection for Syrian refugees by establishing international or Lebanese legal mechanisms to defend their legal rights as stipulated in international resolutions.
She also called for advocating issues of concern to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, communicating with donors and international organizations, and making sure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
