Syrian envoy urges Lebanon to coordinate refugees' return

Beirut, June 3 (IANS) Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdel Karim Ali urged authorities in Beirut to coordinate with Damascus on the return of refugees to their homeland."We understand the critical situation of Lebanon and we are aware that the presence of Syrian refugees is a burden that is way above the country's capacity. We wish upon the Lebanese government to coordinate with Syria on this matter," Xinhua news agency quoted Ali as saying on Wednesday.The Ambassador assured that Syria has also welcomed its nationals who have lost their identification documents."We are in great need for the return of our people to their homeland to assist in reconstructing Syria," Ali added.According to the UN Refugee Agency, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita.There are, an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and some 16,000 refugees of Ethiopian, Iraqi, Sudanese and other origins, in addition to over 200,000 Palestinian refugees.An estimated 88 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living below the extreme poverty line.
--IANS ksk/