Ban, Mikati discuss Lebanon's support group

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon discussed follow-up to the launch of the International Support Group for Lebanon with Najib Mikati, caretaker Prime Minister of the Republic of Lebanon. The meeting aimed at reviewing the Group, which was convened by the Secretary General to address challenges in the humanitarian, economic, and security areas as a result of the continuing impact of the conflict in Syria on Lebanon, a UN statement said here late Thursday Kuna reported. They noted the importance of continued united international support, including the critical need to assist Lebanon in meeting immediate and longer-term requirements resulting from the growing presence of refugees from Syria. During the meeting, Ban stressed that the United Nations was keen on preserving Lebanon's stability and security, including through the policy of disassociation, as well as preventing a return to impunity in Lebanon. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, addressing the recent 68th UN General Assembly, called on the UN Member States to boost their assistance to the hundreds of thousands of Syrians that have fled the crisis in their country, while urging for a political solution to end the conflict. Calling the Syrian refugee crisis "the most pressing and biggest burden" facing Lebanon, Suleiman noted that his country's resources have been stretched to their capacity, with more than one fourth of Lebanon's population now made up of Syrian refugees. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of August this year, Lebanon was hosting more than 700,000 Syrian refugees.