Lebanon doesn't discriminate, says Mikati

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, said that the issue of Syrian refugees coming to Lebanon is humanitarian, and it cannot and should not be politicized. He was responding to the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali’s accusations that the Lebanese Social Affairs Ministry aids refugees based on their political affiliation. The Lebanese prime minster added: “The Cabinet has addressed the refugees with no discrimination between ‘pro’ or ‘anti’-Assad. Thus, involving the case in political disputes and targeting any ministry or Lebanese official side is unacceptable.” Mikati presided over a meeting of the ministerial committee tasked with discussing the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The meeting, held at the Grand Serail, was attended by Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, Education Minister Hassan Diab, Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, and head of the Higher Relief Council Ibrahim Bashir. During the meeting Mikati declared that “The government and all of its ministries and agencies were capable of meeting the relief demands of the Syrian refugees at the very beginning of the Syrian crisis.” He remarked, however, that the government is no longer capable of meeting the demands of the ever-increasing number of refugees despite the assistance of governmental and non-governmental agencies. Mikati also said that work should get under way immediately to secure the required funds to keep helping refugees, whose numbers exceed 160,000. He stressed that the government has devised a plan to meet the demands of the refugees, which includes the fair distribution of resources and aid, as well as following-up on their needs later. The prime minister concluded, "The gravity of the circumstances requires hard and quick work, to get the necessary funding for the continuation of relief, and take appropriate decisions to face any possible developments. Stakeholders may be forced to make difficult decisions, that require potential outweigh the human, institutional and financial resources available to the Lebanese government."