Lebanon and Syria to draft social-protection memorandum and discuss returns

Lebanon's Social Affairs Minister Hanine Sayed and her Syrian counterpart Hind Kabawat held talks in Damascus on refugee returns, child protection and social welfare, Arab News and Al Akhbar reported.

The two sides said they would prepare a memorandum of understanding and a joint executive programme on social protection, according to Arab News.

L'Orient-Le Jour quoted the Lebanese side as citing about 700,000 Syrians returned from Lebanon as proof of successful coordination between Beirut and Damascus. We could not verify that figure independently; it appears to be a cumulative total.

MTV Lebanon reported Ms Kabawat thanking Lebanon for opening its doors to hundreds of thousands of Syrian families in the hardest conditions. Orderly, voluntary and dignified returns would ease a heavy burden on Lebanese host communities.