Priest pleads for international assistance as Syrian refugees overwhelm Lebanon
April 18, 2013
The number of refugees who have fled Syria for Lebanon has surged to 1.2 million and threatens to overwhelm Lebanese institutions, according to the president of Caritas Lebanon.
“Please listen to the suffering of the Syrian people inside Syria and around in the neighboring countries, especially in Lebanon. Lebanon has four million inhabitants; we are hosting 1.2 million Syrian people, which means more than 25% of the population has become Syrian,” said Father Simon Faddoul.
“The Lebanese people are so afraid of this presence, this massive presence throughout Lebanon – in a chaotic manner, without any organization – while the security in Lebanon is not so tight,” he added. Tuberculosis and other diseases are spreading, and “you cannot find a place to house these people.”
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