Official response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, the disastrous policy of no-policy

by Dr. Karim El Mufti

University Professor, expert in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law & Social Entrepreneur

According to UNHCR, “over 2 million people have fled Syria since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, making this one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history with no end yet in sight. The refugee population in the region could reach over 4 million by the end of 2014”. In Lebanon, UNHCR recorded 858.641 refugees by 31st December 2013, and some media reports skyrocket the number through the roof claiming that more than a million refugees are already living in the country. This short paper offers an insight on how the Lebanese authorities reacted to this humanitarian crisis, and points out the (absence of) policy from the relevant decision makers.

The paper was published on Daleel-Madani.org on 10 January 2014, click here to read.