Syrians wait to cross the Jdeidet Yabous border into Syria amid rising humanitarian pressures. [TNA]
Border crossings between Syria and Lebanon are witnessing a surge of returning Syrians following Israeli bombardment.
Mazen Alloush, director of relations at the Syrian General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, told The New Arab, on Tuesday, 3 March, that the Jdeidet Yabous and Jusiyah border crossings with Lebanon received approximately 11,000 people on Monday, most of them Syrians returning home.
Alloush said staff at both crossings “provided all necessary facilities and services and organised the flow of crossings with high efficiency, ensuring rapid processing and the safety of travellers amid continuous readiness and full mobilisation to accommodate the increasing numbers.”
Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have forced many families to take the return route to Syria.
Abdul Rahman al-Hamid, from the northern Hama countryside, who worked as a tailor in Beirut, told TNA that the situation had become dire due to intensive Israeli bombardment, compelling him to return to Syria.
Hussein Haidar, returning to the Western Qalamoun area near Damascus, said the situation in southern Lebanon, where he had been working, became unbearable because of the airstrikes, forcing him to go back to the Asal al-Ward area.
He added that many of his relatives who had worked in Lebanon have left, while some are gathering their belongings to take them back. He said, “I may return if the situation stabilises, as I work in construction.”
Louay Suleiman, head of the travellers’ affairs department at the Jusiyah crossing, told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that crossings at the post are proceeding normally and according to standard regulations without any changes.
He confirmed that border crossings with Lebanon are seeing a significant increase in returning travellers due to the current circumstances, noting that the crossing authority is fully prepared to handle the rising flow.
A private source working at the Jusiyah crossing told TNA that 1,900 people had returned through the post by 12 p.m. local time yesterday and that operations would continue around the clock to accommodate returning Syrians.
“We increased the number of computers to ensure rapid processing, alongside intensive work to reduce congestion,” the source added.
He added that although numbers were extremely high in the morning, the speed of processing greatly alleviated crowding.
The Syrian Ministry of Emergency Affairs and Disaster Management announced a “humanitarian and relief response plan to assist Syrians arriving from Lebanon through the Jdeidet Yabous and Jusiyah crossings due to the current security conditions. The plan is implemented by the ministry’s teams in coordination with the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.”
Minister Raed al-Saleh said the ministry is prepared to urgently meet the needs and requirements of returnees.
The crossing was temporarily suspended after a warning was received from the Lebanese side calling for evacuation due to the possibility of Israeli bombardment targeting the area.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.
