Nine out of 10 Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, UN says
Up from 55 percent previous year, the portion of Syrian refugees struggling to survive has expanded amid compounded crises in Lebanon
Syrian refugees look out from a building used as shelter in southern Lebanese city of Sidon in March (AFP/File photo) By Published date: 18 December 2020 19:30 UTC | Last update: 3 months 1 week ago
Nine out of 10 Syrian refugee families in Lebanon are living in extreme poverty amid compounded crises in the country, a United Nations report says, highlighting the worsening humanitarian situation, increasing food prices and the Covid-19 pandemic.
BEIRUT: The border region between Lebanon and Syria in Baalbek-Hermel in eastern Lebanon often experiences security tensions that rise and fall depending on the smuggling operations being carried out there.
On Saturday, Syrian army border guards fired at a number of young men at one of the illegal crossings, known as the Arida border crossing, in the border village of Al-Qasr, killing one Lebanese man and wounding another.
Smuggling occurs in both directions, but smuggling from Lebanon to Syria has become more common with deteriorating economic conditions in the two countries and the sanctions imposed on Syria. This includes smuggling basic goods subsidized by the Lebanese state such as flour, fuel and medicine. There are also illegal routes for smuggling stolen cars. Products smuggled to Syria also include raw materials for manufacturing and car parts.