UN Voices Concern over Worsening Living Conditions of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Arab World

September 30th, 6:12am

Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat

Syrian refugee, Asua, from Homs, lives in the economically challenged Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood in Tripoli, northern Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sánchez

The UN voiced concern on Wednesday over the rapid deterioration in the living conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that almost the entire Syrian refugee population living in the country is unable to afford the survival minimal expenditure basket. The preliminary findings of the 2021 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR), released today, reveal a dire situation, with nine out of ten Syrian refugees still living in extreme poverty. According to the survey, in 2021, the vast majority of refugees continued to resort to negative coping strategies to survive, such as begging, borrowing money, not sending their children to school, reducing health expenses or not paying rent. “In 2021, more family members took poorly paid jobs, high-risk jobs or extra shifts to make the same income the household made in 2020,” the survey said. “Over the last 18 months, the Lebanese currency lost more than 85 per cent of its value. Prices have skyrocketed, and mere survival has become out of reach for Syrian refugee families. The crisis will have a long-term impact on refugees’ well-being and the future of their children and is threatening past gains such as access to essential services,” said Ayaki Ito, UNHCR Representative in the country. He noted that Lebanese families are struggling too. “Stronger support for Lebanese, refugees, and other vulnerable communities is urgently needed at this most critical juncture. We cannot fail them now,” he added. The study shows that almost 60 percent of Syrian refugee families live in dangerous, substandard, or overcrowded shelters. It also shows an increase in the average rent in all shelter types and in all governorates, and an increase in the risk of eviction. "Inflation impacted food prices significantly. Between October 2019 and June 2021, the cost of food increased by 404 per cent, resulting in worrisome food insecurity levels among Syrian refugee families. In June 2021, 49 percent of Syrian refugee families were food insecure. About two-thirds of the families had to limit food portion sizes or reduce the number of meals consumed per day," the UN report read. “This has been a tough year for everyone in Lebanon. We have seen food prices slip out of reach for many families,” said Abdallah AlWardat, WFP Representative and Country Director in Lebanon. "Thanks to generous support from donors, WFP is helping more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees and 600,000 Lebanese nationals every month. We’re providing cash assistance and food parcels and also organizing activities to support and protect people’s livelihoods,” he added. As for basic hygiene, two out of ten refugee families did not have access to basic baby care items, and one out of ten did not have access to female hygiene items. Meanwhile, the UN said that Syrian refugee children are bearing the brunt of the crisis. “Thirty percent of children in school age (ages 6-17) have never been to school. Primary school attendance for children between 6 and 14 years old dropped by 25% in 2021,” it said, adding that the upward trend in child labor among Syrian children continued in 2021, with at least 27,825 Syrian refugee children currently engaged in child labor.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3217976/un-voices-concern-over-worsening-living-conditions-syrian-refugees-lebanon