Syria, UNHCR discuss ways to meet the needs of arrivals from Lebanon

Damascus (ST) – Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Eng. Louay Kharita, discussed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, ways to meet the needs of those arriving from Lebanon to Syria as a result of the Israeli aggression, and the necessity of securing humanitarian aid and delivering it to them.

Minister Kharita affirmed that the Syrian government has taken, within the framework of the emergency response to those arriving from Lebanon as a result of the aggression, a series of measures and decisions to facilitate the entry of those arriving to Syria, such as allowing Syrian cars that have not completed their papers to enter through the border crossings, settling their status in the relevant governorate, and providing health services and legal consultations to those arriving at the crossings.

In turn, Grandi stressed that his visit to Syria today aims to send clear messages to the world that the tragic situation in Lebanon requires more cooperation from everyone to support the efforts to respond to those arriving to Syria. He indicated that the Commission, in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, provided humanitarian aid that was distributed in the governorates of Damascus and its countryside, Homs, Tartous, Latakia, and some areas in the Idlib countryside.

Grandi confirmed the continuation of cooperation with the Syrian government in the field of emergency response to arrivals from Lebanon, by continuing to coordinate efforts through the Higher Relief Committee to provide for their needs, and providing support to rehabilitate or equip shelter centers prepared to receive them.

He stressed that the Commission will seek to obtain additional funding to support the response to arrivals, thanking the Syrian Arab Republic for the measures it has taken to facilitate the entry of arrivals into its territory despite the difficult circumstances it is experiencing.

Najla Khoury