The now seven years long Syrian crisis has had a deep impact on the socio-economic and political structure of Lebanon, which is  host to more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees and shares with the war-torn country most of its land borders. The challenges faced by Lebanon to sustain such a significant influx of refugees have been monumental The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, declared that the country is considered to be “a fundamental pillar of stability” in the Middle East.

Preserving the stability of Lebanon became more challenging with the progressive decline of resources available for relief programmes targeting Syrian refugees. Of the $2.75 billion needed in 2017, only 43% was received, while in 2016 and 2015 these percentages were 46% and 54%, respectively. To face the lack of fundings, the United Nations launched a $6.5 million Standard Allocation fund, with the specific aim of supporting programmes for Palestinian refugees from Syria, sexual and gender-based violence survivors and persons with specific needs. The fundings will be allocated to projects in line with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan; a multi-year plan between the Government of Lebanon and its International partners aimed at ensuring protection and humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable, as well as to reinforce Lebanon’s stability.

As expressed by Philippe Lazzariniat, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, “preserving the stability of Lebanon means preserving tolerance, diversity and stability in the region”.

To know more, please read:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/03/1005292

https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/LCRP2018_EN_Full_180122.pdf

https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/03/1005122