Today, Wednesday, the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs, Hector Hajjar, announced that the establishment of any new camp for the displaced Syrians on Lebanese soil is unacceptable.
Hajjar indicated in a tweet via his personal account on the “Twitter” website, that any party that works otherwise will be subject to legal prosecution, according to his words.
Al-Hajjar said: “After we learned that there is an intention to establish a camp for the displaced Syrians in the Sarafand area, adjacent to the Qasimiyah River in southern Lebanon, without coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs…”.
Al-Hajjar considered that this matter is unacceptable, as it constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the Lebanese state, harms the water resources in the region, and poses a threat to the environment.
Al-Hajjar stated that this behavior exposes the displaced Syrians to the dangers of floods and the possibility of eviction, as he put it.
Al-Hajjar pointed to the need to coordinate with the Ministries of Social Affairs and the Interior and Municipalities, in any matter related to the displaced Syrians.
The Lebanese official stated that the establishment of any new camp on Lebanese territory is unacceptable, noting that any party that works otherwise will be subject to legal prosecution.
The Minister of the Displaced in the Lebanese caretaker government, Issam Sharaf, announced earlier that he had sensed “positivity and seriousness” from the Syrian side, regarding the plan for the return of the displaced, which he put in place, after his visit to Syria.
Sharaf El-Din stated that 83% of the displaced are outside the camps, considering that they benefit from electricity, water, and subsidized bread, and compete with the Lebanese in their livelihood.
The Lebanese minister indicated that Prime Minister Najib Mikati is indifferent to the issue of the return of the displaced, and that he tried to communicate with him some time ago about the issue of displacement, but Mikati did not answer the call.
According to official estimates, the number of Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon is about 1.5 million, and most of them suffer from difficult living conditions, especially with the worsening economic crisis in Lebanon.
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