The ongoing war and terrorism in Syria has caused its citizens to flee the horrifying conditions and try to find safety in Lebanon. In a report by Amnesty International (2014), the crisis in Syria entered its fourth year in May 2014. War and fighting has been relentless in Syria and it is estimated that over 100,000 people have died, approximately 6.5 million people have been displaced and over one million Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon (Agonizing Choices 2014, p. 4). Entire families have been divided up while trying to flee. The Syrian borders are guarded by the army to prevent people from leaving (Naufal 2013). Syrian people, mostly women and children are trying to escape the violence and bombing which seems as if it will never end. Thousands of Syrians are entering Lebanon each as the violence "ebbs and flows" (Davies 2014, p. 30). They are leaving their homes and everything behind without the promise of having any shelter, food, or protection. Lebanon is now hosting more than one million Syrian refugees, which is more than any other country in the Middle East; in some communities, the Syrians have started to outnumber the Lebanese (Davies 2014).
Refugee Conditions and Problems.
The Syrian refugees entering Lebanon arrive with many problems. Many do not have adequate shelter, employment, food, and water. Many refugees are in need of emergency medical care and treatment for other medical conditions. According to the Amnesty International Report (2014), many refugees are living in tent-like shelters, rented rooms, apartments and garages. The living conditions are inadequate and unsanitary. Many refugees also live in unfinished or abandoned buildings which provide the minimum amount of protections from the weather. These buildings also do not have sources of heat, and therein lies another problem because this area's temperatures in the winter fall well below freezing during the winter months (Loveless 2013).
