Syria Will Continue Supporting Palestinian People’s Right to Return to their Homeland: Al-Mikdad
DAMASCUS, (ST)- Cooperation between the Syrian government and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to improve the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Syria was the focus of today’s meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal al-Mikdad and UNRWA’ Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl.
Al-Mikdad stressed the Syrian State’s firm stance on supporting the Palestinian cause, implementing international resolutions relating to the Palestinian cause and guaranteeing the Palestinian people’s rights including their right to return to their homeland and to establish their independent state with al-Quds as a capital.
The deputy minister affirmed Syria’s support for the continuity of UNRWA’s work in countries hosting Palestinian refugees and for providing them with medical and education services.
Calls for Changing Palestinian Curriculum Aim to Undermine Palestinian Cause
He affirmed that Syria doesn’t support changing the curriculum being taught in Palestinian schools, particularly in the occupied Arab territories, under pressure by western countries and Israel. He stressed that such calls aim at making a shift in the Palestinian education as to stop teaching the causes of the Palestinian Nakbeh and stop shedding light on the responsibility of Zionism for this ordeal.
He affirmed that such calls come within the framework of Israel’s endeavor to undermine the Palestinian cause.
On his part, Krahenbuhl said his visit to Syria came within the framework of “constant contacts and consultations with the Syrian government as to boost cooperation to provide services for the Palestinian refugees in Syria given Syria’s bright and long history in terms of assisting Palestinian refugees and guaranteeing them good living conditions.
He hailed the efforts being exerted by the Syrian government to protect the Palestinian refugees, improve their living conditions and keep delivering humanitarian assistance to them despite the difficult circumstances resulted from the ongoing crisis.
In the same context, Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf discussed with Krahenbuhl ways of expanding coordination and cooperation between the Syrian government and the UN agency with the purpose of increasing assistance to the Palestinian refugees.
Makhlouf talked about the facilitations given by the Syrian government to UNRWA to resume distributing aid to the Palestinians who are staying in Babila, Yalda and Beit Sahem areas in Damascus countryside after being displaced from al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.
He also discussed with Krahenbuhl the issue of distributing humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees in UNRWA-run makeshift housing centers in Qadsayya and in other refugee camps in different areas in Damascus countryside.
Hamda Mustafa