Syrian refugees cost Lebanon $4.5b a year

Syrian refugees cost Lebanon $1 billion directly and $3.5 billion indirectly every year based on a study prepared by the International Monetary Fund, the Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank Riad Salameh said yesterday.

Speaking in a conference marking the fifth anniversary of the Central Bank, Salameh said: “The Syrian refugees’ issue, with regard to the huge suffering they endure, is a burden on Lebanon, its economy and its social stability.

“The international community wants Lebanon to keep receiving refugees, but this issue must be handled in a way that reduces the burden on Lebanon. The cost of refugees is a responsibility that Lebanon should not have to handle on its own.”

Lebanon, a small country with limited natural resources and its four million population hosts more than a million Syrian refugees. Most of them endure harsh living conditions and need houses for their families and schools for their children.

Most of the refugees live in small camps scattered across Lebanon, particularly in the border regions of Akkar and Beqaa in the north and east.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has placed their numbers at 1.1 million, though the Lebanese government, which refers to refugees as “displaced”, estimates the figure to be much higher.

Lebanese citizens say Syrian refugees compete for jobs with them and consume the country’s water and energy.

Salameh said that the Lebanon’s success in dealing with refugees is proof of the country’s strong economy.