Blog 1: Poor Conditions for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

On January 23th the NY Times published an article regarding the poor living conditions and many struggles  that thousands of Syrian refugees are facing in Lebanon after fleeing from the brutal conflict and death in their home country of Syria. Unlike other neighboring countries of Syria, Lebanon has not established any official refugee camps. Although Lebanon has taken in the most Syrian refugees compared to other neighboring countries, they have failed to take the appropriate steps to plan and prepare for them. This has caused Lebanon to have to set up makeshift, "unofficial" camps between buildings, along highways, and on empty plots of land. The article even describes the living conditions of one particular refugee camp north of Tripoli where the Syrian refugees are housed in worn cloth tents surrounded by ankle-deep mud. These tents provide little to no protection from the harsh winter they have faced this past month, as the roofs are often torn with holes and isn't water proof. The situation is even worsened by the lack of warm winter clothing, proper bedding, or daily essentials like food and hygiene products. Luckily not all of the refugees live in the same grim conditions. Some of them have been known to squat in abandoned houses, while others live in concrete huts constructed specifically for them. There are even some that are able to live in small apartments within the cities, but their arrangements are still unrelenting as they must still struggle with the fact that supplies are scarce and the money needed to pay rent is hard to find while jobs are limited. The article also notes that the troubles that the Syrian refugees are facing may also be exaggerated by the country's already hindered situation, as Lebanon is known for struggling to provide its own citizens with basic resources, let alone its refugee population. This leads to the expectation and belief that the remaining aid and resources for the refugees should come from willing international sources. Further, there is mention of the concern that citizens of Lebanon have about the effect the Syrian refugees could have on the peace and well-being of their country.


Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/world/middleeast/syrians-struggle-in-an-uneasy-lebanon.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&smid=pl-share

Brittany Briceno

1.25.2013

4:51PM