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Palestine Refugees in Lebanon Teeter on the Edge of Existence

26 October 2022

In Lebanon, Palestine refugees have hit rock bottom, reaching a point of no return.  Poverty, unemployment and despair are in high doses across the country, severely hitting the Lebanese people, Syrian and Palestine refugees. This comes amid one of the worst economic crises in recent history, compounded by the Beirut blast in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, poor governance and an almost total collapse in basic services. Palestine refugees, living in overcrowded camps, are historically one of the poorest people in the country. They are at the end of the rope.  According to the latest UNRWA Crisis Monitoring Report on the Socio-Economic Situation of Palestine Refugees in Lebanon, 93 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Lebanon live in poverty. While UNRWA has been helping, providing cash assistance and other basic services, our assistance is a drop in an ocean of despair. 

Some 210,000 Palestine refugees (180,000 Palestine refugees from Lebanon and 30,000 Palestine refugees from Syria) live in 12 official refugee camps, and outside the camps in overcrowded living conditions. They are historically one of the poorest people in the country. Latest surveys show that more than 90 per cent of Palestine refugees live in poverty. This photograph shows a street in Beddawi camp. © 2022 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun Mustafa Palestine refugees shop for their basic needs on the popular Abo Alfoz Street in Beddawi camp in northern Lebanon. This year, the cost of the food basket has increased six-fold – one of the highest increases in the world. Compared to last year, the cost of basics is now three to five times higher. © 2022 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun Mustafa Poverty, high unemployment and despair are high among Palestine refugees in Lebanon. More than 93 per cent of Palestine refugees in Lebanon live in poverty. UNRWA provides cash assistance to help. In 2021, for example, UNRWA supported 61,709 Palestine refugees with yearly payments of US$ 200 per individual. This man received his cash assistance from the LibanPost Branch in the Mazraah area. © 2021 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun MustafaBanned from 39 professions, Palestine refugees in Lebanon typically suffer from high unemployment and struggle with skyrocketing costs of basic commodities. UNRWA provides cash assistance through its emergency programme. Some 162,000 Palestine refugees have received one-off payments of US$ 50 per person so far in 2022. One way to receive the funds is through money transfer from a BoB Finance shop, as here in the Beddawi camp. © 2020 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun MustafaThis child is receiving its measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at the UNRWA al-Tantura school in Tyre as part of a vaccination campaign organized by the Lebanese Ministry of Health in partnership with WHO and UNICEF. Last year, UNRWA registered 550,000 patient visits in it 27 health-care facilities. However, medicines are increasingly unavailable and unaffordble. Many Palestine refugee families are no longer able to co-share the cost of health care with UNRWA. © 2020 UNRWA Photo by Abeer Nouf In Lebanon UNRWA provides free basic education to over 39,000 Palestine refugees in 65 elementary and secondary schools. These youngsters are joining in activities at the UNRWA Kawkab School in Lebanon in Beddawi Palestine refugee camp. © 2019 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun MustafaUNRWA provides free basic education to over 39,000 Palestine refugees in 65 elementary and secondary schools in Lebanon. These boys are participating in back-to-school activities organized by the Nabaa organization in the UNRWA Lydda School in Tripoli. Sadly, most parents can no longer afford school transportation due to the skyrocketing cost of fuel. © UNRWA Photo by Maysoun Mustafa.Poverty, unemployment and despair are high across the country, severely hitting Palestine refugees who are historically among the poorest not only in Lebanon, but across the region. Banned from 39 professions, many struggle to find employment. This photo shows the busy Abo Alfoz Street in Beddawi camp in northern Lebanon. © 2022 UNRWA Photo by Maysoun Mustafa Mahmoud Marzouq is a 37-year-old Palestine refugee in Lebanon. He is married with three children and lives in Beddawi camp. He works in scrap metal. His work has declined by 90 per cent due to Lebanon’s economic crisis. His family benefits from the UNRWA social-safety net program which supports over 60,000 Palestine refugees in Lebanon. ©2022 UNRWA photo by Maysoun Mustafa.

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