Grandi visits Jdeidet Yabous border crossing to be briefed on assistance provided to displaced Lebanese arriving in Syria

Damascus (ST) – Today, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visited the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing and was briefed on the facilities and assistance provided to those arriving from Lebanon to Syria.

In a statement to reporters, Grandi expressed his thanks to the Syrian government for its great cooperation and for allowing all arrivals to enter Syrian territory without discrimination.

Grandi pointed out that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees plays a fundamental role on the part of the United Nations in coordinating this response in cooperation with the Syrian government and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

Grandi praised the exceptional work carried out by the staff and volunteers of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent around the clock to accomplish this work, as well as all other local and international organizations operating in Syria.

Grandi stressed that the UNHCR’s response to refugee affairs is ongoing, as hundreds of people continue to enter Syria through several border crossing points, explaining that he will launch an appeal to donors from Damascus this evening to collect donations to help respond to the humanitarian situation and provide the necessary funds to address the current situation and in the coming months.

“I was in Lebanon until this morning and I also saw the very tragic situation there and the people who are coming to Syria from the crossing, and there are large numbers of arrivals who are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese, in addition to other nationalities such as Palestinians and Sudanese residing in Lebanon”, Grandi said.

Najla Khoury