Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said on Sunday that Lebanon’s economic losses resulting from the Syrian crisis had reached $20 billion, the Daily Star reported.
“Due to the Syrian war, Lebanon has lost $20 billion,” Derbas said.
“We only received 50 percent of the promised international donations for the relief of the displaced in 2013, and 44 percent in 2014.”
The minister claimed the government’s refugee policy, which was based on the decision to stop the flow of Syrian refugees and to diminish the numbers already in Lebanon, has succeeded in decreasing the number of refugees in the country by 100,000, from 1.2 to 1.1 million.
But according to the UNHCR, which is considered the most credible authority on Syrian refugees, the figure has actually increased by more than 10,000 since the policy was approved by the Cabinet two months ago.