The Repercussions of the Syrian Refugee Crisis on Lebanon: The Challenges of Providing Services and Creating Jobs

The Syrian conflict has seriously destabilized Lebanon; the scale of the refugee influx has proven immensely difficult for both host communities and local authorities to cope with. Severe socio-economic implications of the influx are being observed primarily at the job market level, causing heightened competition between refugee and host communities. To counter these challenges, LCPS argues, Lebanon must move away from an emergency/relief-oriented response to a developmental approach that considers the implications of the Syrian refugee crisis in the long-term. With this aim, LCPS held a closed meeting on 14 July 2015 with key stakeholders to collectively consider the best ways to address the refugee crisis, focusing in particular on the provision of services and job creation. With this meeting LCPS hoped to spur a series of discussions and produce and or support policy initiatives that address these pressing challenges.