A new humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Syria as civilians forced to flee Israel’s bombardment in neighbouring Lebanon struggle to secure shelter, food, water, and protection, warns the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Displaced people pushed to the brink in Lebanon and Syria
Press release
Published 17. Oct 2024
“We are now looking at the third humanitarian crisis emerging in the region in just 12 months, amid a backdrop of numerous ongoing challenges,” said Angelita Caredda, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director. “Syria is already on its knees after 13 years of conflict. The mass displacement from Lebanon comes at a time when the aid response already cannot keep pace with existing needs. Thousands of families crossing into Syria will struggle to find a safe place to stay or the basics their children need. This is a crisis within multiple crises.”
More than 276,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have been forced to flee to Syria, most of whom are women and children – some children being sent across on their own. The journey into Syria carries its own risks; an Israeli airstrike on the main border crossing point between both countries has forced thousands to abandon their cars and cross on foot, carrying only what they can manage.
Needs at border and reception areas are overwhelming: there is simply not enough water, food, or shelter, let alone mental health services or support for children. NRC teams have also reported a significant increase in food prices and house rental costs.
Syrians fleeing conflict in Lebanon have the right to live in safety and with dignity. They must be enabled to access basic services and allowed to live without the fear of exploitation or coercion. States, donors and policy makers, both in the region and in Europe, should be under no illusions that Syrians are making voluntary and informed decisions to ‘return’ to Syria. Beyond the current conflict in Lebanon, anti-refugee rhetoric in the region has surged this year, due in part to refugee-hosting countries largely being abandoned by the international community and having to shoulder the refugee crisis on their own. As a result, Syrians across the region have experienced a year of deportations, evictions, arrests, and harassment.
The expanding regional humanitarian disaster threatens millions more across borders as the international community fails to reach a ceasefire. “We can no longer view the situation in the Middle East as a series of isolated conflicts and displacement crises. Political failure risks destabilising an entire region and condemning millions to catastrophe. Global diplomacy must move beyond platitudes and unkept commitments,” said Caredda.
Funding for the pre-existing crisis in Syria stands at just 26 per cent, the lowest since 2016, despite needs hitting unprecedented levels this year. Donors must urgently release pre-pledged and additional funds to help millions stricken by violence, a deteriorating economic crisis and inflation rates that keep basic goods from the hands of most.
Notes to editors:
- An unprecedented 16.7 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance across Syria at the halfway point of 2024 (UN).
- At least 276,000 people have crossed to Syria from Lebanon as of 14 October. (UNHCR)
- Around 60 per cent of those crossing are children and adolescents, many arriving on their own (UNHCR)
- Prior to October, over 90 per cent of the population was living below the poverty line, and an estimated 7.2 million people were internally displaced inside Syria, with the further risk of increasing large-scale displacement into Syria. (UN)
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
- NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329
- Ahmed Bayram, Middle East and North Africa regional media advisor: ahmed.bayram@nrc.no, +962 790 160 147
“We are now looking at the third humanitarian crisis emerging in the region in just 12 months, amid a backdrop of numerous ongoing challenges,” said Angelita Caredda, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director. “Syria is already on its knees after 13 years of conflict. The mass displacement from Lebanon comes at a time when the aid response already cannot keep pace with existing needs. Thousands of families crossing into Syria will struggle to find a safe place to stay or the basics their children need. This is a crisis within multiple crises.”
More than 276,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have been forced to flee to Syria, most of whom are women and children – some children being sent across on their own. The journey into Syria carries its own risks; an Israeli airstrike on the main border crossing point between both countries has forced thousands to abandon their cars and cross on foot, carrying only what they can manage.
Needs at border and reception areas are overwhelming: there is simply not enough water, food, or shelter, let alone mental health services or support for children. NRC teams have also reported a significant increase in food prices and house rental costs.
Syrians fleeing conflict in Lebanon have the right to live in safety and with dignity. They must be enabled to access basic services and allowed to live without the fear of exploitation or coercion. States, donors and policy makers, both in the region and in Europe, should be under no illusions that Syrians are making voluntary and informed decisions to ‘return’ to Syria. Beyond the current conflict in Lebanon, anti-refugee rhetoric in the region has surged this year, due in part to refugee-hosting countries largely being abandoned by the international community and having to shoulder the refugee crisis on their own. As a result, Syrians across the region have experienced a year of deportations, evictions, arrests, and harassment.
The expanding regional humanitarian disaster threatens millions more across borders as the international community fails to reach a ceasefire. “We can no longer view the situation in the Middle East as a series of isolated conflicts and displacement crises. Political failure risks destabilising an entire region and condemning millions to catastrophe. Global diplomacy must move beyond platitudes and unkept commitments,” said Caredda.
Funding for the pre-existing crisis in Syria stands at just 26 per cent, the lowest since 2016, despite needs hitting unprecedented levels this year. Donors must urgently release pre-pledged and additional funds to help millions stricken by violence, a deteriorating economic crisis and inflation rates that keep basic goods from the hands of most.
Notes to editors:
- An unprecedented 16.7 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance across Syria at the halfway point of 2024 (UN).
- At least 276,000 people have crossed to Syria from Lebanon as of 14 October. (UNHCR)
- Around 60 per cent of those crossing are children and adolescents, many arriving on their own (UNHCR)
- Prior to October, over 90 per cent of the population was living below the poverty line, and an estimated 7.2 million people were internally displaced inside Syria, with the further risk of increasing large-scale displacement into Syria. (UN)
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
- NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329
- Ahmed Bayram, Middle East and North Africa regional media advisor: ahmed.bayram@nrc.no, +962 790 160 147