Refugees in Lebanon in Numbers

Aid Pioneers works with several partner organisations in Lebanon aiding one of the country’s most vulnerable communities: Syrian refugees.

1.5M

Syrian refugees in Lebanon

With its 6.7 million inhabitants, Lebanon has the highest refugee count per capita. That 1.5 million Syrian refugees are currently in the country is an estimate - after 2015, UNHCR could no longer officially register refugees and the real numbers are unclear.

90%

of Syrians live in extreme poverty

Lebanon is currently in the midst of a political, social and economic crisis that exacerbates the situation of Syrians in Lebanon. Already living at the margins of society in 2019, as the economic crisis continues to unfold, many Syrians were pushed into multidimensional poverty. In a context in which the host population is itself in need of humanitarian assistance, little support towards a refugee population may be expected. 

1 in 10

Syrian households has a secure legal status for all members of the household

It is notoriously difficult for Syrians to regularize their status in Lebanon. The UNHCR’s registration of Syrian refugees was suspended in 2015 by the Lebanese government; seeking refugee is not a valid reason for entry into Lebanon. Without legal status, school & university attendance, access to social services, and finding formal employment is nearly impossible.

40%

of migrant children are out of school

In Lebanon specifically, bureaucratic but also cultural and monetary hurdles prevent Syrian families to send their children to school. While the Lebanese government has arranged for special school shifts to be taught for refugees, these are reportedly of such low quality and even an environment of serious emotional abuse, that refugees de-facto rely on informal or at least non-state provision for their education.

3%

of Syrians in Lebanon visit secondary school

Worldwide, secondary schools are under provided. Funding streams are often directed towards primary education to establish basic literacy. While access to secondary schools is problematic, the value of schooling is also unclear. As access to formal job markets is close to impossible for Syrians in Lebanon, sending a child to school when it could be earning direly needed money for the family is a difficult choice to make - if the family can afford to choose at all.

172%

average inflation in Lebanon in 2022

Lebanon is currently undergoing one of the world’s most severe economic crises that takes an immeasurable human toll.