More than one million Syrian refugees are currently living in Lebanon—a tragic record that was reached this week.
Syria is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our times, and it does not seem like much is being done in order to address its many repercussions; one of the most pressing issues is that of the refugee spillover affecting neighboring countries such as Lebanon.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees agency, for every 1,000 Lebanese residents, there are 220 Syrian refugees, equaling one-quarter of the resident population.
“The influx of a million refugees would be massive in any country. For Lebanon, a small nation beset by internal difficulties, the impact is staggering,” said António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “The Lebanese people have shown striking generosity, but are struggling to cope. Lebanon hosts the highest concentration of refugees in recent history.”
In the midst of news about Crimea and Russia, it is easy to forget the hardships that the people of Syria endure. Those who are fortunate enough to escape have whole new challenges to face: arriving in a new country as refugees. As if things were not hard enough for these people, these host countries are often overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the staggering numbers of refugees that they receive. As a consequence of the impact that these refugees are having on Lebanon, there has been a decline in trade, tourism, and investment, and growing economic shocks. The public services of the country are unable to cope with the situation and meet the demand for health services, water, sanitation, education, and electricity. The infrastructure of Lebanon is being tested beyond its limits, as it struggles to hold both the weight of the Lebanese population as well as that of Syrian refugees. Sanitation and waste management have been critically weakened, and clinics and hospitals are extremely over-populated, handling more numbers than what they should structurally be able to.
Three years into the Syrian conflict, Lebanon has witnessed an alarming increase of Syrian refugees. In April 2012, Syrian refugees in Lebanon numbered 18,000; by April 2013, the number had risen to 356,000. Today, the number has more than tripled, passing 1 million.
In the midst of all of this, Lebanon is facing unprecedented economic strain, and the World Bank estimates that the crisis in Syria is costing Lebanon US$2.5 billion in lost economic activity. Furthermore, the situation will push an estimated 170,000 Lebanese into poverty by the end of 2014. Shockingly enough, as wages plummet and the population struggles to survive, the humanitarian appeal for Lebanon is only 13 percent funded. Late last year, UN agencies appealed for US$1.89 billion for 2014, but only US$242 million has been received. Could it be that the international community considers that the situation is not urgent enough?
Children account for half of the Syrian refugee living in Lebanon. Lebanese schools have taken in 100,000 refugees, but their capacity is limited, and thus many children remain out of school. Boys try to find whatever jobs they can get, while many girls end up getting married too young. If they say that the future of the world lies in the hands of the new generations, how can we envision any possibility of Syria one day living in an era of peace? By ignoring the needs of these refugees in Lebanon, as well as the needs of other Syrian refugees throughout the region, we are also denying the populations the possibility of a brighter future.
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Photo Friday: One Million Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
April 4, 2014
More than one million Syrian refugees are currently living in Lebanon—a tragic record that was reached this week.
Syria is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our times, and it does not seem like much is being done in order to address its many repercussions; one of the most pressing issues is that of the refugee spillover affecting neighboring countries such as Lebanon.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees agency, for every 1,000 Lebanese residents, there are 220 Syrian refugees, equaling one-quarter of the resident population.
“The influx of a million refugees would be massive in any country. For Lebanon, a small nation beset by internal difficulties, the impact is staggering,” said António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “The Lebanese people have shown striking generosity, but are struggling to cope. Lebanon hosts the highest concentration of refugees in recent history.”
In the midst of news about Crimea and Russia, it is easy to forget the hardships that the people of Syria endure. Those who are fortunate enough to escape have whole new challenges to face: arriving in a new country as refugees. As if things were not hard enough for these people, these host countries are often overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the staggering numbers of refugees that they receive. As a consequence of the impact that these refugees are having on Lebanon, there has been a decline in trade, tourism, and investment, and growing economic shocks. The public services of the country are unable to cope with the situation and meet the demand for health services, water, sanitation, education, and electricity. The infrastructure of Lebanon is being tested beyond its limits, as it struggles to hold both the weight of the Lebanese population as well as that of Syrian refugees. Sanitation and waste management have been critically weakened, and clinics and hospitals are extremely over-populated, handling more numbers than what they should structurally be able to.
Three years into the Syrian conflict, Lebanon has witnessed an alarming increase of Syrian refugees. In April 2012, Syrian refugees in Lebanon numbered 18,000; by April 2013, the number had risen to 356,000. Today, the number has more than tripled, passing 1 million.
In the midst of all of this, Lebanon is facing unprecedented economic strain, and the World Bank estimates that the crisis in Syria is costing Lebanon US$2.5 billion in lost economic activity. Furthermore, the situation will push an estimated 170,000 Lebanese into poverty by the end of 2014. Shockingly enough, as wages plummet and the population struggles to survive, the humanitarian appeal for Lebanon is only 13 percent funded. Late last year, UN agencies appealed for US$1.89 billion for 2014, but only US$242 million has been received. Could it be that the international community considers that the situation is not urgent enough?
Children account for half of the Syrian refugee living in Lebanon. Lebanese schools have taken in 100,000 refugees, but their capacity is limited, and thus many children remain out of school. Boys try to find whatever jobs they can get, while many girls end up getting married too young. If they say that the future of the world lies in the hands of the new generations, how can we envision any possibility of Syria one day living in an era of peace? By ignoring the needs of these refugees in Lebanon, as well as the needs of other Syrian refugees throughout the region, we are also denying the populations the possibility of a brighter future.
