YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Syrian-Armenians living in Lebanon, it seems, want to return to Syria, member of the ARF Central Committee of Lebanon Melik Karagavoryan said in an interview with “Armenpress”. He said since the situation in Aleppo is relatively calm, that’s why many Syrian-Armenians in Lebanon started to think about the issue of returning to Syria.

“Today it is yet early to speak about the number of people transferring to Syria, but we can state that many depart for Syria to get acquainted with the situation there, understand what opportunities are there for return, they are considering the options of restoring their works. Yes, there are moods among the Syrian-Armenians in Lebanon to return to Aleppo”, he said.

He said if there are Syrian-Armenians who will make a final decision to return, they must, of course, assist them.

“This issue is being discussed in the Armenian National Committee, assisting the Syria-Armenians, who are returning to Syria, is among our agenda issues. We have expressed our readiness and now we are waiting for the proposals by Syria’s “Ambulance” body. We will work with them in order the work on providing assistance to be more coordinated”, Melik Karagavoryan said.

He informed that according to their latest information, 9-10 thousand Syrian-Armenians live in Lebanon. The process on assisting the Syrian-Armenian refugees in Lebanon is quite coordinated. From the very start they are provided with first necessary things, the local Armenian structures are solving the education issue of the children of the Syrian-Armenian refugee families.

“We are trying to do all possible in order to ensure the education of all children. Today we don’t have such a problem, almost all children of the Syrian-Armenian families are studying in educational institutions. They are studying in Armenian schools for free”, he said, adding that the main problem faced by the Syrian-Armenian families is related with the housing and employment. There are certain difficulties in this regard.

On December 12, 2016 various Syrian sources announced about the full liberation of Aleppo by the Syrian army and its allies. The local media reported that the people are celebrating Aleppo’s liberation, its victory.

In early January of 2017 Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia visited Aleppo where he delivered a mass in the St. Mary (Surp Asdvadzadzin) Armenian Apostolic Church. He also visited the national-church institutions in order to get acquainted with the situation and have a clear picture of needs of the Armenians of Aleppo. Aram I Catholicos addressed a call to all Armenians aimed at making the restoration of Aleppo, the full support to the Armenians of Aleppo as a pan-national issue.