Hundreds of Syrians Return Home From Lebanon

Date: 12 July 2019 - 21:48

News ID: ۶۷۹۹۸

BEIRUT (Dispatches) – Hundreds of displaced Syrian have returned to their homeland from neighboring Lebanon after Syrian government forces and allied fighters managed to liberate their hometowns from terrorist groups.
Refugees arrived at the Jdeidat Yabous, al-Zamarani and al-Dabbousiya border crossings from Lebanese territories on Thursday. They returned home in buses sent by Syrian authorities.
They underwent medical checks and vaccines were administered to them upon arrival at the Dabbousiya border crossing.
The return of refugees took place under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported.
A number of cars and trucks with displaced Syrians and their luggage on board also arrived at the Zamarani crossing. They received the required assistance before heading towards their hometowns and villages.
Earlier this year, Lebanese President Michel Aoun urged world powers to "make all efforts” to help the repatriation of Syrian refugees.
"Lebanon calls on the international community to make all efforts possible and provide suitable conditions for a safe return of displaced Syrians,” he stated.
More than one million Syrian refugees are registered with the UNHCR in Lebanon.
The Beirut government estimates that the true number of Syrians in Lebanon stands at 1.5 million.
In February, Lebanon's minister of state for displaced affairs said his country would stick primarily to a Russian strategy for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
"The Russian strategy will be adopted as a basis for our approach towards the return of Syrian refugees to Syria,” Saleh Gharib told China’s official Xinhua news agency on February 6.
He also did not deny the possibility of visiting Syria, or conducting a direct dialogue with high-ranking government officials in Damascus to secure the return of Syrian refugees.
"Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is very much aware of the sensitivity of this issue, and all necessary steps will be taken in this regard,” Gharib pointed out.