The UN refugee
agency on Tuesday said it has been seeing small numbers of refugees arriving in
eastern Lebanon after escaping from the embattled Syrian town of Al Qusayr,
where heavy fighting flared up three weeks ago.
The refugees,
mostly women and children, have told UNHCR staff that the strategically located
town in western Syria has been badly damaged and the living conditions are
extremely difficult. They said the route to Lebanon was dangerous and it was
unsafe to travel with men.
"From the handful of interviews we have done
so far, it appears that a new route for displaced people has opened up from the
Qusayr area towards Arsal in Lebanon, about 100 kilometres away," UNHCR
spokesperson Melissa Fleming told journalists in Geneva. "Some of those
forced out of Qusayr by the fighting are fleeing into Lebanon as refugees,
while others are being displaced internally to towns, including Rankous, Dahel,
Qara, Flita and Nabek," she added.
The refugees
arriving in Lebanon said the difficult journey to the border has to be made by
foot. "Fighters are said to be targeting people as they try to flee. No
route out of Qusayr is considered safe, and there are continued reports of
between 700 and 1,500 injured civilians being trapped in Qusayr," Fleming
said, adding that UNHCR could not verify the reports.
"Those we have spoken to say it is unsafe to
flee with men, who are at heightened risk of being arrested or killed at
checkpoints along the way. None of the refugees was able or willing to identify
those who are manning the checkpoints," the UNHCR spokesperson said.
She noted that
one woman had told UNHCR staff that people in Qusayr were faced with a stark
choice, "You leave and risking being killed . . . or you stay and face a
certainty of being killed."
The refugees
describe Qusayr as a ghost town, heavily damaged and rocked by warfare. People
are hiding in bunkers or holes dug as shelters. One lady said her family could
not leave their hole for a week and had to live off the food they could bring
with them.
"One of the few men to have arrived in Lebanon
said he had fled after his home was bombed and his 20-year-old son had been
killed. He had no belongings with him. All those we spoke to reported great
fear of approaching any checkpoint," Fleming said.
UNHCR does not
have access to Qusayr and the refugee accounts are hard to verify.
"However, we share the concern of others over the serious humanitarian
situation and the risks for the civilian population. It is imperative that
people seeking a route out of Qusayr, and other unsafe locations, be allowed
access to safe areas," Fleming stressed.
UNHCR is also
concerned about impediments in the way of people seeking to reach safety in
other parts of the region. In Jordan, more than 4,300 people managed to cross
from Syria between May 27 and June 2. This compares to 26,600 people in the
first 18 days of the month. Refugees continue to report difficulties in
accessing the border.
Crossings into
Iraq also appear to be difficult. UNHCR has just learned that the crossing
points in Peshkapor district, in the north, have been closed since May 19. As
other crossing points are also closed – apparently due to local political
reasons – Iraq is in effect closed to Syrian refugees. "We appeal to the
Iraqi authorities to allow border crossings to resume, so that all people in
need of help have access to safe haven," Fleming said.
UNHCR is also
concerned with reports from refugees about increasing difficulties they face in
crossing into Turkey at many border points. Within Syria, those seeking to
approach the border report controlled access resulting in diminished access to
the border. UNHCR has not been able to verify this information directly. UNHCR
advocates all Syrians wishing to flee be allowed to do so and are given safe
passage
Zaman Alwasl
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