Lebanon warns of "existential crisis" of Syrian refugees

Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil warned Wednesday that the large number of Syrian refugees could lead to an "existential crisis" in Lebanon, which already faces internal political problems.

"The massive influx of refugees will have a negative impact on the region as a whole, as it is rapidly changing the countries' demographics," Bassil said during a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.

He said Lebanon was prepared to cooperate with all countries in order to put an end to the "chaotic situation," emphasizing that Lebanon was not a transit country for refugees.

"Despite all the efforts our security forces have made in securing the borders, we are now witnessing a new wave of migrants heading to the West from our coast," Bassil warned.

He said for the short term, Lebanon calls on all donors to fulfill their commitments so as to ensure continued emergency response.

For the long term, Lebanon calls for a political solution to be reached in Syria and Iraq, allowing all refugees to return to their countries, he said.

Szijjarto, for his part, said his country would allocate three million euros in aid on the short term to Lebanon and Jordan. Endit