Attachments
Key highlights
• The protection landscape during the fourth quarter of 2023 has been marked by the eruption of the hostilities in Southern Lebanon, prompting the displacement of thousands of Lebanese and secondary displacement of refugees residing in conflict-affected areas and/or in proximity to the border.
• Restrictive measures against Syrian refugees significantly increased throughout 2023 following MoIM circulars and local directives, pre-dating hostilities in the South and impacting refugee access to labour, rent and movement. Total measures monitored by UNHCR in 2023 (>1,000) is more than double those recorded in 2022 (~400).
• Escalation of hostilities in the South has further catalysed restrictive measures and tension against Syrian refugees countrywide, including in the South with at least 26 municipalities applying security-related measures since October 2023.
Limitations on movements (mostly night curfews), requirements related to lease contracts, legal residency and imposition of new taxes were cited among the main restrictive measures. The highest number of restrictive measures in Q4 was reported in BML, followed by Bekaa, the South and the North regions.
• Access to food and affordable shelter are the top priorities for Syrian refugees as has been expressed by nearly all respondents during the reporting period. Additionally, almost half of the respondents reported difficulties to access health care services and purchase essential medicine due to financial constraints and loss of livelihoods.
• A significant increase in rental fees has been observed since the second half of the year, leading to a heightened risk of evictions and even more limited shelter alternatives. The levels of debt cumulated by refugee households continued to rise, constituting one of the main coping mechanisms of refugees as they face increase in the cost of living and the challenging economic situation in Lebanon.
• The average monthly income of refugee households (22 million LBP) consistently falls below the Standard Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB), which reached 34 million LBP in Q4 for a family of five, highlighting the enduring financial precarity faced by these communities.