UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi released a statement on negative statements and hate speech towards Syrian refugees in Lebanon.(Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi issued a statement calling for “everyone to refrain from fueling the media and social media with negative sentiments and hatred,” against Syrian refugees.
Here’s what we know:
• The statement comes after “public discussions over the return of Syrian refugees to Syria have increased in Lebanon.”
• Caretaker Minister of the Displaced Issam Charafeddine stated earlier this month that “Lebanon will follow the plan to return Syrians refugees to their country, regardless of the UNHCR’s position,” after the UN refugee agency said it was not part of any negotiation to repatriate refugees to their strife-stricken home country.
• Charafeddine had also announced that Lebanese officials are working on a plan to repatriate 15,000 Syrian refugees to Syria every month, although so far he has given no specifics about how such a number would be reached, and there have been no concrete moves to implement the plan.
• Since the announcement, public officials have stepped up rhetoric against the refugees. In a press conference, Minister of Economy, Amin Salam, claimed that according to “his sources,” Syrians consume 400,000 bags of bread every day in June stating that the refugees were part of the reason behind the bread crisis.
• Rochdi recalled “the commitment of the [Lebanese government] to the principle of non-refoulement under international law, and to the principle of ensuring the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of refugees." While Lebanon is not a signatory to the international 1951 Refugee Convention, it is a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which prohibits forcibly returning a person to a country where they would be in danger of torture. The international principle of non-refoulement also generally prohibits forcible return of any person who might be at risk of persecution, torture, or threat to life.
• She also ensured that the UN had doubled its effort towards the Lebanese “as they have been struggling with their own vulnerabilities.”
• Direct humanitarian assistance has been provided to over 1.6 million Lebanese, including cash assistance, food, health, education, protection, shelter, and water services, according to the statement, in addition to supporting around 200 Lebanese municipalities in strengthening their basic service provisions and reducing resource pressure in high-risk communities.
• Other resources are also being invested in development and capacity-building in response to the ongoing crisis.
• Rochdi concluded that she counts “on all to continue to display the spirit of solidarity and mutual respect in these difficult times.”