Plumbly Denies Plans to Set Up Refugee Camps for Syrians

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly denied any plans to set up refugee camps for the Syrians in Lebanon, praising the Lebanese authorities’ commitment to the humanitarian needs of the displaced.

“The number of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon is increasing and I was impressed by the hospitable Lebanese residents along the border,” Plumbly said in an interview with An Nahar newspaper published on Friday.

Asked if there were any comprehensive plans to aid the Syrian refugees in case the situation in the neighboring country deteriorated, the diplomat said that the U.N. is planning to provide the international agencies working in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan with additional funds.

According to UNHCR, there are around 16,000 Syrian refugees In Lebanon.

In comments to a series of demands made by the northern city of Tripoli MPs for more support to the displaced, Plumbly said that their memorandum is being examined thoroughly.

“The Lebanese government and the international agencies are demanded to fully carry out their role concerning the matter amid the financial burdens facing the residents,” the U.N. official said.

Plumbly noted that the MPs also demanded the deployment of monitors along the border with Syria. However, he said that the U.N. can’t take such an action currently.

Thousands of Syrians have fled to Lebanon since a revolt against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad broke out in March last year.

Syria has mined several regions along the porous border to prevent the smuggling of weapons and infiltration of rebel fighters, activists say.

Lebanon and Syria share a 330-kilometer border but have yet to agree on official demarcation.

Plumbly told An Nahar that the peace plan of U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan is the only way to stop the violence in Damascus, stating that the U.N. didn’t inquire Lebanon about the possibility of using al-Qlaiaat airport in order to send equipment for the U.N. advance team present in Syria.

Concerning the situation along the Lebanese border, Plumbly urged the authorities to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 to control the border and reinforce stability.

He said that the cooperation between the U.N. and the Lebanese armed forces aims at fortifying the Lebanese capabilities to control the border.

“The situation in the South is stable, I’ve noticed through my ongoing contacts with the Lebanese government, Hizbullah and Israel that everyone is seeking to maintain this stability until we reach a permanent cease fire.”

Concerning the offshore natural resources, Plumbly expressed relief for the determination of both parts to avoid tension.

Lebanon and Israel are bickering over a zone that consists of about 854 square kilometers and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars.

Plumbly told An Nahar that the tripartite meetings in Naqoura between Lebanon and Israel under the sponsorship of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) tackled the issue as all parties are willing to resolve the dispute.

On the Lebanese local situation, the diplomat said that he was impressed by the will of all the Lebanese leaders to avoid any repercussions caused by the Syrian crisis.

Plumbly said that the resumption of the national dialogue is “necessary” amid the difficult situation regionally, revealing that he held separate meetings with several leaders on the matter.

“We encourage the resumption of the national dialogue,” he noted.

However, Plumbly stated that the arms of Hizbullah are the reason behind any delay concerning the issue, saying: “The leaders would have to find a reasonable way to resolve all issues.”