Abou Faour Reveals Syrian Refugees Security Plan in the Making

Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour said Sunday that the government should adopt a new plan to confront the social, economic and security challenges that Lebanon is facing by the rising influx of Syrian refugees.

In remarks to An Nahar daily, Abou Faour said a ministerial committee tasked with finding solutions to the rising number of displaced Syrians will hold a meeting under the chairmanship of Premier Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail on Wednesday.

The meeting will precede an extraordinary cabinet session that is set to tackle the issue on Thursday.

“I believe that the relief plan is ready but it would require the adoption of another program that deals with the security of the Lebanese, the Syrians and the Palestinians,” Abou Faour told the newspaper.

“The displaced are putting a huge pressure on Lebanon socially, economically and security wise,” he said.

The suggested plan is entitled “Lebanon's obligations towards helping and protecting the displaced within (the framework of) Lebanese laws and the state's sovereignty,” Abou Faour said without giving further details.

The U.N. is calling for $1.5 billion (750 million euros) to help through June nearly one million Syrian refugees and four million other Syrians affected by the conflict but who remain the country.

The U.N. high commission on refugees registered 500,000 Syrian refugees, of those 170,637 are in Lebanon.