BEIRUT, May 28: The United Nations on Saturday declared that it has decided to temporarily pause the use of dual currency for next month's disbursement of cash assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon. A UN statement said that the agency is discussing with Lebanese authorities the appropriate modalities to give cash assistance to refugees in Lebanon.
The statement came after Lebanese caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar said on Friday that Lebanon refuses to give Syrian refugees aid in U.S. dollars because the Lebanese people reject this displacement.
In Lebanon, Syrian refugees face new pressure to go home
"The Lebanese compare the aid offered to the displaced with the small support they receive as Lebanese," said the minister. Lebanese authorities have been working to secure a safe return for Syrian refugees to their homeland, urging the international community to support this initiative as the country suffers from a steep financial crisis.
Moreover, several incidents among Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees have been registered recently. Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with the government estimating around 2 million Syrian refugees.
(Xinhua)
