Situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon getting worse: UNHCR
Xinhua, December 25, 2015 Adjust font size:
About 70 percent of refugees in Lebanon are now living below extreme poverty line (3.84 U.S. dollars per day), according to a report released Wednesday by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) .
"This is a striking increase from 49 percent in 2014," the UNHCR said in the report, adding that "we have reached a critical juncture. More than ever, refugees need our solidarity and support."
Besides the sharp increase in poverty, the report also indicated a heightened reliance on debt and humanitarian aid coupled with reduced expenditure due to limited resources.
"Nearly 90 percent of more than one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt," said the report.
Also, refugee families have become more reliant on food vouchers than they were in 2014. Limited resources have forced over half the surveyed refugee families to spend less than expected to cover their most basic survival needs.
This report was based on an assessment of more than 4,000 refugee households and over 100,000 family visits this year. Endit