Introduction to the evening news 19-12-2012

After the incidents the Yamrouk refugee camp has witnessed, the Palestinians who initially fled to Syria after the 1948 Nakba, are displaced once again and must now seek safe shelter inside Syria or in a neighboring country.  

Meanwhile, the calls of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to allow them to enter Palestine remained unheard.  

In this context, the United Nations comprised the "largest short-term humanitarian appeal ever" when it called for $1.5 billion to provide life-saving aid over five months to Syrians suffering from a "dramatically deteriorating" humanitarian situation and meet the needs of up to 1 million Syrian refugees in five countries.    

In Lebanon, around 29,000 Syrian refugees and 2,600 other displaced Palestinians entered the Lebanese territories since Monday through the borders with Syria. However, 25,000 Syrians and only 300 Palestinians returned.

The exceeding numbers of Syrians fleeing to Lebanon necessitated the announcement of a cabinet session that will be held on the 27th of this month to discuss this issue.

The cabinet also reiterated its commitment to fulfill its ethical and humanitarian duties towards the refugees, nevertheless, some ministers spoke openly about closing the crossings on the borders with Syria.