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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Lebanon’s Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk called on Jordan Sunday to grant entry to the Lebanese truckers stuck at a Syrian-Jordanian border crossing.

“Only the responsible Arabism of the Jordanian king is able to treat this urgent humanitarian crisis,” Machnouk said in a statement published Sunday.

The minister said he was “optimistic” about reaching an end to the crisis soon, adding that he had contacted a number of Jordanian officials over the matter.

But the officials, who include the country’s Interior Minister Hussein Hazah al-Majali and the head of the Royal Court Fayez al-Tarawneh, are yet to respond.

Also Sunday, An-Nahar published comments by Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb revealing that eight Lebanese drivers remained stuck at the Nassib border crossing on the Syrian side, while two other drivers whereabouts are still unknown.

The crossing was taken over by Syrian rebels on April 1st, one day after Jordan had closed the road on its side of the border and evacuated all civilians from the area.

At least 30 Lebanese trucks were banned from entering Jordan and prevented from returning into Syria due to the ongoing clashes between the Syrian Army and rebels. At least 10 others were kidnapped by gunmen, who looted cargo from several trucks.

Chehayeb said he had discussed the matter with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam and also contacted the Jordanian Ambassador to Lebanon, who traveled to his home country in order to follow up on the matter.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam also reached out to his Jordanian counterpart for the same purpose, Chehayeb said.

“Lebanon is facing three difficult situations in the border crisis,” Chehayeb said. “The first and the most difficult is the issue of the ten drivers stuck at the borders.”

Chehayeb said the eight truckers who were successfully contacted were being hosted by Syrian rebels, while two others remained “in the ranks of the missing.”

The second main problem, according to the minister, was the presence of 60 Lebanese trucks stuck on the Jordanian side of border, known as the Jaber crossing.

171 truckers are also stranded in Saudi Arabia and were not entering Jordan as long as the closure of border continues, he explained.

Chehayeb revealed that Lebanese communities in Saudi Arabia pledged to help the Lebanese truckers stuck in the country with 400 Saudi riyals a day until their release.

The minister was tasked by the Cabinet with following up on the matter and find alternatives routes for Lebanese products to reach Gulf countries.

The crossing was the principal route Lebanese exports into Jordan and the Arabian Gulf.

*Daily Star