Fragile host communities like Lebanon’s can no longer cope with the lengthy Syrian crisis, Social Affairs Minister Rachid Derbas said Tuesday, warning of the impact left by the Syrian refugees on the country’s demography. “Small communities with little resources like the Lebanese society can’t tolerate the idea of long years of the Syrian crisis ... because it can only stand its consequences for few months at its best,” Derbas said. He was speaking during a meeting for the steering committee at The Lebanon Host Communities Support Project, which is being implemented in collaboration between the ministry and UNDP.” Speaking at the Social Affairs Ministry, Derbas said that Lebanon could explode at any time as a result of the crisis. Derbas explained that 80 percent of LHCP projects had supported host communities through boosting infrastructure and basic services and the rest had focused on improving their livelihood. Around 1.1 million Syrian refugees are officially registered in Lebanon. But Lebanese authorities say the number is much higher. The influx of the refugees has placed immense pressure on Lebanon’s already feebly infrastructure.
