National Plan to Combat Begging: Coordination Meeting between the Ministry of Social Affairs and Concerned Ministries

Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat held a coordination meeting with representatives from several concerned ministries to discuss the phenomenon of begging and mechanisms for addressing it through a comprehensive national plan. The meeting took place at the General Secretariat building of the Presidential Palace for Cabinet Affairs in Damascus, in the presence of the Assistant Secretary-General for Cabinet Affairs, Engineer Ali Kadeh.

Participants in the meeting emphasized the necessity for the national plan to include mechanisms for monitoring cases of begging and homelessness, and to enhance coordination between the directorates of social affairs and the governorates to establish specialized committees to combat the phenomenon. The attendees also discussed the importance of regulating legal procedures and developing mechanisms for dealing with beggars.

The discussion addressed the role of employing beggars and homeless individuals, with a focus on the employment center in Al-Kiswa. The participants agreed on the importance of amending relevant laws, providing financial allocations to establish new centers in the governorates, as well as qualifying existing centers.

Discussions also emphasized the need to launch an awareness campaign about the dangers of begging, in addition to providing job opportunities for beggars through small projects or vocational training programs in partnership with the private sector.

The meeting also elaborated on the ministry's efforts in collaboration with civil society organizations to establish specialized centers for caring for homeless and separated children, as part of preventive solutions to mitigate the worsening of the phenomenon.