Hale Says It's Important to Deal with Syrian Refugee Influx over Lebanon Stability
U.S. Ambassador David Hale said Thursday he discussed with Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour the impact of the flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon and international efforts to help the country deal with the crisis.
“The starting point for our discussion was yesterday’s meeting, chaired by (caretaker) Prime Minister (Najib) Miqati, to review the World Bank’s assessment of the impact of this flow of refugees on Lebanon and what is required in order to deal with it,” Hale said.
“The findings of the report underscore just how serious this challenge is, and the importance of dealing with it not only for humanitarian reasons, but for Lebanon’s very stability,” he said.
The diplomat said his discussions with Abou Faour focused on the efforts exerted by the U.S. and the international community “to assist Lebanon ... in dealing with this humanitarian and economic crisis.”
The World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, said early this month that the banked helped the Lebanese government prepare the ground to request an influx of international aid to offset the high costs of the spillover from the Syrian civil war.
This analysis will be presented during a Sept. 25 meeting of an international support group for Lebanon at the United Nations General Assembly.
“I have lived in Lebanon long enough to understand the impact refugees can have on the fragile fabric of this country, and of the responsibilities placed on the international community to help deal with a situation which we all know is well beyond Lebanon’s capacity to deal with alone,” said Hale.
The Ambassador also met with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace.
A statement issued by the presidency said their talks focused on bilateral ties and the Sept. 25 meeting.
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