“Syrian refugees: A boom for Lebanon’s economy?”, 20 June 2016

 …Despite the dire economic situation for many refugees in Lebanon, and contrary to the common perception, refugees continue to contribute substantially to the Lebanese economy...Data collected by UNHCR in 2016 showed that 80.5 percent of refugees in Lebanon were women and children, which suggests that only a small minority of the Syrian population is in fact competing on the informal job market for industries such as construction… While it is true that refugees are poor…over $20 million in food allowances, for instance, is allocated every month by the World Food Program to refugee families and vulnerable Lebanese via “cash-for-food” electronic cards. These funds are then directly reinjected by the recipients into the Lebanese economy, in the form of food purchases at local stores… Similarly, research conducted by UNHCR also highlights a staggering $1.03 million per day spent by Syrian refugees on housing in Lebanon – which amounts to a total of $378 million annually… Overall, the international community poured a total of $1.26 billion into Lebanon to support refugees from Syria in 2016 alone.