The United Nations is now aiding nearly 400,000 Syrians across Lebanon, according to a new report issued Friday, as the refugee crisis quickly outpaces projections, straining local host communities.
The weekly rate of new refugee arrivals is increasing, according to the report. Aid groups projected there would be over 500,000 refugees in the country by summer but the current influx is quickly outpacing that estimate.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is struggling to aid the huge refugee population that is taxing the local communities hosting Syrians with funding far below their requirements.
“Municipalities and municipal unions across Lebanon continue their efforts to receive and assist refugees,” the report said.
In the last month the total number of municipalities hosting refugees rose to 980, from 800 the month prior.
“Their hospitality, however, is becoming increasingly strained by their limited resources and the increasing rate of new arrivals,” it added.
Increased unemployment in those host communities is one of the latest strains from the Syrian influx. Refugee excess supply of labor is pushing wage prices down, stunting the job market.
The UNHCR reported they have made progress in speeding up refugee registration time, increasing registration points and expediting procedures. March saw a raised number of people approaching the agency for registration.
But the influx of refugees far outstrips their capabilities, and the number of refugees waiting to register has risen to 145,524.
There are hundreds of thousands of additional refugees who have not sought aid from the agency at all. Government officials estimate there are between 200,000 and 500,000 more unaided refugees.
The refugees are increasingly spread out across the country with over 110,000 people in the north, over 95,000 in the Bekaa Valley, almost 26,000 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon and 20,000 in the South.
