Beirut, Lebanon
Thursday, 09 July 2014
Mr. Ross Mountain, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, visited today Hermel and Arsal in north-eastern Lebanon to review the conditions of displaced Syrians and the Lebanese communities hosting them there. There are over 376 thousand Syrians registered with UNHCR throughout the Bekaa.
Mr. Mountain met with the local authorities in Hermel and in the border town of Arsal who briefed him on the humanitarian needs and socio-economic conditions and some of the difficulties these communities have been facing with the influx of displaced people from neighboring Syria.
In Hermel, Mr. Mountain also visited a drip irrigation project managed by UNDP/UNHCR and funded by the European Union. Noting the strain on Lebanon’s infrastructure including on water resources due to this year’s reduced rainfall, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said that the United Nations was looking into ways to both provide short-term assistance and help the Lebanese authorities maximize the use of such resources. He also said the United Nations and its partner organizations were focusing on projects that would help both the Lebanese host communities and the Syrian refugees in this difficult period.
In Arsal, Mr. Mountain visited a health clinic run by the NGO Amel Association. With the Mexican Ambassador to Lebanon, UNDP, UNHCR, OCHA and the Ministry of Social Affairs staff, Mr. Mountain met with displaced Syrian families and listened to their concerns. He said the United Nations was committed to continue assisting the Lebanese authorities in meeting humanitarian and stabilization needs. Mr. Mountain praised the generosity extended by the Lebanese government and people to the Syrian displaced during the past three years. “I was impressed by the efforts of both municipalities to cope with the heavy Syrian refugee influx and continue to provide services for their Lebanese citizens,” Mr. Mountain said. He emphasized: “The United Nations will continue to encourage additional international assistance to help in sharing this burden with Lebanon.”
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