Editor TLN
May 27. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The United Nations has decided to annul its decision to provide cash assistance in dollars to Syrian refugees in Lebanon due to the social and political tension caused by a measure that could further increase the pressure on the refugees, in the crosshairs of the authorities and from public opinion in the midst of the extreme economic crisis that the country is going through.
After a series of meetings between the UN officials in the country with the Prime Minister, Nayib Mikati, the international organization confirmed this Saturday that “the decision has been made to temporarily pause” the so-called “dual currency mechanism” that enabled refugees to choose whether to receive aid in dollars or Lebanese pounds at the end of May.
The United Nations used to pay assistance in dollars, but the country’s authorities ended up converting it into pounds, knowing the enormous impact of the great volatility of the exchange rate of the national currency against the dollar. Right now only Lebanese families can receive aid in US currency.
For refugees, the United Nations will maintain the usual model of assistance “while discussions continue on the appropriate modalities” and “reiterates its commitment to humanitarian principles in helping the government to help the most vulnerable people throughout the country.”
“All decisions are made with full transparency and commitment to our mandate, including decisions on modalities of assistance that are based on solid and objective evidence and exhaustive research,” the statement added, a step back from the original decision adopted. on Tuesday.
“We continue to support the people and the Government of Lebanon during these difficult times and foster a collaborative environment to reach those most in need, including refugees,” the note, collected by Naharnet, clinches.
The Lebanese authorities have recently begun to crack down on Syrian refugees against the backdrop of a worsening economic crisis and political stalemate, an escalation that has caused panic among Syrians in the country, who now number approximately 1.5 to 2 million people.
The rhetoric has become increasingly heated to the point that a federation of trade unions recently declared a “National Campaign to Free Lebanon from Syrian Demographic Occupation”, and Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar himself claimed that refugees represent 40 percent of the population of Lebanon, something that “no country in the world could accept”, according to ‘L’Orient le Jour’.
The UN statement was issued by the UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon (UNHCR), Ivo Freijsen, and the representative of the Program Food World Cup in Lebanon (WFP), Abdalá Alwardat.
