Summary
Context
The Syria Crisis, now in its fourth year, has forced more than nine million people to flee their homes. Around 6 million of these are believed to be internally displaced within Syria, while more than three million people have fled the country altogether. Lebanon, despite being the smallest of the countries neighbouring Syria, hosts the largest population of displaced Syrians. According to the data published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 1,146,405 displaced Syrians have registered in Lebanon since the onset of the crisis. This significant population of displaced Syrians, approximately amounting to one quarter of the Lebanese population, has taken refuge in up to 1,700 neighbourhoods, towns, and villages across the country; indeed, latest data suggests that many localities have more displaced Syrians than Lebanese host community members.
The prolonged displacement of such significant numbers of displaced Syrians has placed an ever-increasing strain on Lebanese host communities. Basic services have become stretched to breaking point in many communities, and competition over access to affordable housing and livelihood opportunities, sufficient to meet household needs, has intensified. As a result of this situation, the recent Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) has outlined a strategy for the Government of Lebanon and the humanitarian / development community, to work towards ensuring the needs of Lebanese most vulnerable inhabitants, including displaced populations and hosting communities, are met.
