Why did the government halt assistance for Syrian refugees?

The bill of the medical aid offered to the injured and ill Syrian refugees magnified to reach one million dollars per month, while the Lebanese government is solely covering it, without receiving any help from international bodies. This has driven PM Najib Mikati to take the decision to suspend this health care coverage until it is reorganized.         

Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour stressed that the government’s decision is irreversible, noting that Mikati is preparing a new mechanism because of the mismanagement of the case.                  

Abou Faour told LBCI that he called Mikati who informed him that the High Relief Commission (HRC) will keep receiving emergency cases until next Wednesday, when a meeting with the commission will be held to find a solution for the mismanagement that took place.           

For his part, the advisor to the Prime Minister Fares Gemayel told LBCI that the decision of PM Miakti is temporary, stressing that exceptions will be limited since the Lebanese government is unable to bear the burdens.          

In this context, around 1200 Syrian refugees benefitted from full medical care coverage and were given advantage over the Lebanese patients.             

The HRC realized that this issue turned into “hospital tourism”, where many Syrians came to Lebanon to perform surgeries or to give birth.               

Awaiting the new mechanism preventing violations and abuse and awaiting the results of contacts with international bodies, PM Najib Mikati gave his instructions to the HRC to cover the expenses of emergency cases.