Perilous plight for Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Nearly 1 million Syrian refugees living in temporary conditions in Lebanon are approaching catastrophe and in desperate need of additional aid, according to a report from Harvard’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. “Running Out of Time: Survival of Syrian Refugee Children in Lebanon,” based on a 10-day “rapid assessment” conducted in Lebanon in November, calls for increased funding from the international community and stronger support from the Lebanese government to combat malnutrition, disease, hypothermia, and exploitation such as sex trafficking, early marriage, and child labor. The well-being of children, who make up half the refugee population, is tied to that of their families, said Susan Bartels, an FXB fellow, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. That means overall improvement in living conditions for refugee families must be the goal. The refugees in Lebanon are among an estimated 2 million who have...