Global organisations plot Syrian refugee relief

Global organisations concerned with the relief of Syrian refugees in Lebanon held their first conference in al-Hamra on Friday. The event was a collaboration between the Union of Relief Associations, World Assembly of Muslim Youth in Saudi Arabia (WAMY) and the International Islamic Charitable Organisation in Kuwait. The conference was attended by MP Bahia Hariri's representative Thamer Hamoud, and Assistant Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Doctors, MP Imad al-Hout. There was also representation from the Director-General of the International Islamic Charitable Organisation in Kuwait, Dr Sulaiman Shams Alddin, a representative of the Global Relief in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Tariq al-Hawas, a representative of the Islamic Society of Bahrain, Ahmed al-Mahmoud, the representative of the Secretary-General of the relief in Mecca, Musa Abdul Karim Moosa, and a representative of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Fouad Alemiznai. Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour was scheduled to participate in the conference but failed to attend. In the opening session, Thamer Hamoud said that "the high number of displaced people is a result of the crimes committed by the Syrian regime," stressing that "our duty is to provide a helping hand to them and not closing the border in their face." He said the organisation was struggling to help refugees because of the large number of people involved, praising Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for their help. Furthermore, he held "the government and international organisations responsible for dealing with the situation," adding that "their suffering is caused by the difficulty of securing housing, and integrating their students in schools, and failing to secure necessary medical treatment." He described the government's position on refugees as a "negative position" and urged it to "create camps to shelter them at the border inside Lebanese territory." Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Doctors, MP Imad al-Hout said that the number of displaced Syrians is increasing, and although the Lebanese people are trying to help, the situation has become "a real challenge." He called on the government to address the crisis, seen as "75% of the displaced people are women and children." Al-Hout also said that the root of the refugee problem was the Syrian regime's offensive against its own people. He urged the UN to exert pressure and stop the violence being committed in Syria. He called on the Lebanese government "to establish shelters for the displaced, whether in the form of camps or buildings to accommodate the crisis in cooperation with the civil society." The representative from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Fouad Alemiznai confirmed that "four-and-a-half million people are displaced inside and outside Syria." He added that the Organisation had conducted a survey inside Syria, but the deterioration of the situation stopped them from providing the Syrians with any help. Alemiznai announced that "the organisation will open four offices for humanitarian assistance in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq to take care of refugees," stressing that Turkey has approved the request, and that "the Secretary-General of the Organisation will launch an appeal for a $500 million fund to meet the needs of those displaced."