The Syrian Coalition on Wednesday held a teleconference with a number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to assess the situation of refugees and discuss ways to meet their educational and health needs.
The teleconference, which was organized by the Syrian Coalition’s Department of Refugees’ Affairs, brought together Coalition members and refugees living in Tripoli, Bekaa and refugee camps in Arsal.
Head of the Department, Amal Sheikho, said that the terrorist Hezbollah militia bears primary responsibility for the crimes taking place against the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including through kidnappings, arrest and torture which have further exacerbated the suffering of the refugees.
Sheikho highly commended the positions and efforts being made by Lebanese Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Mouin Merehbi. She held the Lebanese authorities and its security agencies partially responsible. She called for safeguarding the rights of refugees in line with the relevant international laws as she stressed the need to allow international organizations to implement the programs they have already developed to serve the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Sheikho added that members of the Syrian Coalition talked with a large segment of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and learned about the reality of their lives and the services being provided to them, in particular in the areas of education and health as well as food and medical assistance.
Furthermore, Sheikho pointed out that the Syrian refugees in Lebanon suffer dire humanitarian conditions, especially with the onset of winter. She noted that refugee camps in most areas in Lebanon do not meet international standards and need urgent maintenance.
Sheikho called for the launch of international investigations into the fate of the refugees returning from Lebanon to Syria, citing reports about the Assad forces’ execution of families that have recently returned to their homes in rural Homs.
Sheikho stressed that the current conditions are not appropriate for the return of refugees. She urged the United Nations to reinvigorate the political process to reach a political solution in accordance with the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Security Council Resolution 2254 as key to the creation of a safe and neutral environment for the safe, voluntary return of refugees. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
