Call to the International Community: Provide Aid to Syrian Displaced Persons in Their Own Territories

The Maronite Patriarch Beshara Al-Rahi pointed out that "Lebanon is facing two crises: the first is the presidential vacuum, and the second is the increasing number of Syrian displaced persons." During a divine liturgy marking the Feast of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, Al-Rahi noted that "the presidential vacuum paralyzes constitutional institutions, especially the Parliament, the government, public administrations, and the judiciary, placing the country in a state of disintegration and chaos, leading to a rise in poverty cases." He added, "Let those of good will work on electing a president who gains internal and external trust and is capable, through his character and experience, of cooperating with constitutional institutions to carry out the necessary reforms." Al-Rahi emphasized that "the growing number of Syrian displaced persons in Lebanon has become a heavy burden on us, and we hope for the best from the government committee that has been formed and has begun working to solve this crisis. We request that the UN Refugee Agency cooperate with this committee and provide the necessary information." He added, "We tell the international community to provide aid to Syrian displaced persons in their territories."