Lebanon’s President Michel Sleiman arrived Wednesday in Kuwait to attend a donor conference aimed at collecting funds to help host the rising number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, as Kuwait pledged $300 million to help the refugees in the region.
Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah opened an international donors conference with a pledge of $300 million in aid for Syrians affected by the 22-month conflict.
"Due to the great sufferings of the Syrian people and to help ensure the success of the conference, I announce the Kuwaiti donation of $300 million for the Syrian people," the emir told the conference.
Prior to attending the conference, President Sleiman held a closed meeting with Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the National News Agency said.
The two leaders discussed preparations for the international conference of donors to support the humanitarian situation in Syria, and exchanged views on how to help the Syrian refugees.
Talks also touched on bilateral ties.
The president was accompanied by Deputy PM Samir Moqbel, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour and Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour.
The government has appealed for $180 million annually to pay for health, social and education services for the refugees to help over 223,000 Syrians who have so far sought refuge in Lebanon as a result of the conflict in their home country, according to Lebanese officials.
The president voiced hope Tuesday that the conference will end with Lebanon being allocated the needed funds and said Lebanon could build refugee camps in order to better monitor and regulate the large number of Syrian refugees in the country.
The conference, to be attended by United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, will seek $1 billion of aid for Syria's neighbors, who are sheltering 700,000 registered refugees, and another $500 million to bankroll humanitarian work for 4 million Syrians inside their country.
The U.N. chief was quoted by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) as saying that the U.N. is getting limited support for its aid to millions of Syrians especially that the crisis in Syria is escalating quickly.
Robert Watkins, U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, which has seen the biggest influx of refugees from the Syrian bloodshed, told Reuters that the United Nations had received promises of major donations at the Kuwait conference.
"We have every reason to be optimistic that there will a very good presence and new pledges that will be coming up at this conference," he said.
Watkins said the fact that the conference was being held in Kuwait could encourage other wealthy Gulf Arab states, who have led regional opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, to support the international aid effort. – with Reuters, AFP
