Interview: Lebanon to participate in Humanitarian World Summit: minister

Lebanon's Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas confirmed Thursday that Lebanon will participate in the upcoming 1st World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23-24, where it will discuss the issue of Syrian refugees and the rise in its poverty rate.

Derbas said in an interview with Xinhua that the summit organized by the United Nations aims at launching an International Dialogue that would address ways of improving the humanitarian response to world crises.

"The main goal of the summit initiated by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is to suggest solutions to the major challenges and establish an agenda for the humanitarian responses to keep abreast with the future" the minister said.

He expressed hope that the preparations and consultations prior to the summit created "a momentum that would lead to operational procedures."

However, Derbas pointed that the most important issue is "the ability of the international community to reach peaceful solutions to the political crisis that is the root of the social and humanitarian crisis."

He added "Lebanon would not miss any world summit as it is an opportunity to discuss its problems."

The minister hoped that Lebanon would benefit from its participation "receiving the response and aid to help it solve its problems that were aggravated by the influx of Syrian refugees to various parts of the country."

He pointed that "Lebanon's resources are limited and is suffering from many social difficulties that the government is struggling to address them, but it is unable to cope with them without the help of the international community."

He stressed "the Syrian refugees represent today one quarter of Lebanon's population and are a huge burden on the country's economy because the reluctance of the world donors in fulfilling their financial pledges."

Derbas said that the poverty rate in Lebanon has risen because of the wars and political crisis it faces, and "we are relying on our partners in the international community to intensify their efforts to avoid Lebanon entering a dark tunnel."

According to a study by the World Bank in collaboration with the Central Department of Statistics, there are around 900,000 Lebanese who are living under the line of poverty, with less than six dollars income per day.

The Lebanese Labor Ministry estimates that the unemployment rate is currently at 35 percent.

Derbas said "we are going to put our problems on the table during the summit and push the international community towards fulfilling its promises to help us cope with the repercussions of the Syrian displacement on the economical and social levels, and to provide them with necessary health care, education, electricity and other services."

He stressed, however, that "Lebanon refuses categorically the idea of nationalization of the Syrian refugees," asserting that "what is needed is a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would enable the Syrian refugees to return to their homeland."

According to the United Nations Higher Commission for refugees, Lebanon hosts more than 1.1 million Syrians who fled their war-torn country since the uprising against the regime of President Bashar Assad erupted in March 2011. Endit