Baalbek Governor Bashir Khadr emphasized that when discussing the problems of Syrian displacement, the issue gets diverted elsewhere, stating that the country can no longer bear the burden on security, environmental, and service levels. He noted that in Baalbek, there are 250,000 Lebanese matched by 315,000 displaced Syrians. Instead of addressing the problems for the 250,000 Lebanese, we are compelled to tackle issues affecting 565,000 Lebanese and Syrians. In Arsal, there are 20,000 Lebanese compared to 94,000 displaced Syrians.
Khadr's remarks were made during the "Leaders Against Corruption" initiative organized by "Yousebaik" in collaboration with a group of environmental activists against global warming, at an environmental conference focused on waste sorting, held under the patronage of the Baalbek governor titled "Problems and Solutions."
He mentioned the challenge faced by nine municipalities, one of which has no money in its treasury, while the contractor is demanding increases. We requested 100,000 Lebanese pounds from each household, equivalent to one dollar, and then reduced the amount to 50,000 pounds, but there was no response. Khadr pointed out that we need to work to restore trust between the state and citizens, and there is no excuse for a lack of cooperation. It is our joint responsibility to educate citizens for collective action.
