The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said that at least 34 Syrian refugees have been killed in the explosion, making a fifth of the total death toll, meaning they are among the communities which have been worst impacted.

In the weeks prior to the blast the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) had reported a rise in Syrian refugees being evicted from their homes because of the unprecedented financial crisis that had ravaged Lebanon and the coronavirus pandemic. They fear this may continue after the explosion.