Nine out of ten Syrian refugee families in Lebanon live in conditions of extreme poverty, according to a United Nations report released on Friday, December 18.
Read also: In Beirut, more than half a million children are fighting for their survival
"
The economic crisis, high inflation, the Covid-19 and finally the explosion in Beirut have pushed vulnerable communities in Lebanon, including Syrian refugees, to the brink
," reads the report, with reference to an explosion which killed more than 200 people in early August and devastated part of the capital.
Lebanon is embroiled in its biggest economic crisis in decades, with historic currency depreciation, hyperinflation, massive layoffs and growing poverty.
The country says it hosts 1.5 million Syrians, including nearly a million registered with the UN as refugees who fled the conflict in neighboring Syria.
According to the report of the UN agencies for refugees (UNHCR) and children (Unicef) and the World Food Program (WFP), 89% of Syrian refugee families in Lebanon currently live in extreme poverty, compared to 55% in 2019. Syrian refugees now live on less than 309 Lebanese pounds per person per month, it is specified, or 205 dollars (around 167 euros) at the official exchange rate, but around 38 dollars (around 31 euros) depending on the rate. current black market.
The average amount of debt of a Syrian refugee family has increased by 18%, with “
the purchase of food
” being the main reason for the accumulation of debt, according to the report which states that the prices of food in Lebanon have "
almost tripled
" since October 2019. Half of the families studied suffer from food insecurity, an increase of 28% in one year.
UN agencies warn about the "
coping strategies
" used by families including early marriage of children or their withdrawal from school to send them to work.
"
The situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has been deteriorating for years, but the results of the study (...) dramatically show how difficult it has become for them to survive,
" said UNHCR representative in Lebanon, Mireille. Girard.
