Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Monday, after arriving in Germany to attend a Syrian refugee conference, that the refugee crisis was the most dangerous problem facing Lebanon. “We came to Germany, a friendly state which is hosting a conference on the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the region. We consider this issue to be the most important and dangerous that Lebanon is facing today,” Salam said in a joint news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
Co-hosted by German ministers and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, the conference, which takes place Tuesday, will bring together foreign ministers and international organizations.
Organizers hope governments will commit to medium-term humanitarian solutions in support of Syrian refugees and host communities.
Lebanon hosts around 1.2 million Syrian refugees, with the largest number residing in the Bekaa Valley, according to the UNHCR.
So far, the international community has failed to honor its commitment to provide sufficient financial aid for Lebanon to deal with the problem.
Salam, who spoke prior to holding talks with Merkel, said that discussions with the German leader would tackle several issues and would be an occasion to improve ties between Lebanon and Germany, a country he said played a crucial role in cementing stability in the world.
Commenting on four days of clashes between the Lebanese Army and militants inspired by ISIS and the Nusra Front in Tripoli and other northern districts, Salam praised the Army.
“The Lebanese Army confronted terrorism and acted decisively, which boosted security and stability in my country,” Salam said.
Clashes subsided Monday after the Army took over the last bastion of Islamist militants in Tripoli.
For her part, Merkel expressed solidarity with Lebanon as it grappled with the problems resulting from war in neighboring Syria, particularly the challenge of Syrian refugees.
“We remember that Lebanon’s population is 4 million and there are over 1 million registered refugees, not to speak of unregistered refugees,” Merkel said. She added that Lebanon had also been affected by the flow of Palestinian refugees.
“The situation was difficult from the beginning and we cannot imagine, here in Germany, the great challenge posed by this,” Merkel said.
“We express our solidarity with Lebanon and Germany is taking part in providing aid to refugee camps. We are pleased to host the conference tomorrow ... I hope ... that we will listen to you directly about the current situation in Lebanon and means to get out of the crisis.”
Later Salam met with the heads of Arab delegations taking part in the conference on refugees.
Salam will also attend a meeting Tuesday for the International Support Group for Lebanon.
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