Lebanon welcomes Egypt aid plane for Arsal refugees

An Egyptian military plane carrying the first of three Egyptian aid packages to Syrian refugees in northeast Lebanon landed at Beirut’s airport Tuesday.

Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said the aid sends a message of love from Egypt to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

It also signals support for the Lebanese state and people, who are shouldering the burden of hosting such a huge number of refugees, Derbas said.

What Egypt is doing today, according to Derbas, sets the scene for a new approach to handle the Syrian crisis as an Arab and nationalist cause.

Arabs, he stressed, should maintain Arab demography and should act to outline a program to shelter displaced brethren.

Egypt’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Badreddine Zayed was also at the airport with Derbas to receive the shipment.

The shipment included tents, blankets, clothes, food, medicines and medical supplies, according to The Daily Star.

Zayed had announced last week that his government would donate three aid shipments to Syrian refugees in Arsal.

The contents of the first plane were estimated to be around 15 tons, a source from the airport said.

The complete delivery will weigh a total of 50 tons, he added.

The next two shipments are scheduled to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday and Thursday, the source added.