Without being officially registered, my daughters will not be able to continue their education.
                                -The Umm-Zahra Family

We do not care about money. We just want safety for our kids.”
                                          -The Abu-Yousef Family

Syria and Lebanon are one.”
                                                 -The Abu-Nahil Family

When the war began, everything changed... You could see atrocities everywhere you went.”
                                     -The Umm-Muhhamad Family

[Our family] witnessed children slaughtered in front of our eyes.”
                                     -The Abu-Haytham Family

No matter where we go, we will always go back [to Syria]."
                                          -The Abu-Karam Family

Only people who have some friends in organizations get help; others don’t.”
                                                 -The Abu-Ali Family

Our future, it’s over.”
                                                 -The Abu-Amir Family

I expected to be back (in Syria) very soon but after every day that passed I lost hope. I realized that it was becoming impossible.”
                                                 -The Abu-Anas Family

What is the Beqaa Valley like?

The Bekaa (Beqaa) Valley borders Lebanon's largest official border crossing with Syria, located in the Masnaa locality. The valley hosts a diverse group of religious sects namely Christians, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze-- with no notable majority. Mostly rural, the region’s economy relies largely on agricultural production, with accordant employment concentration. Bekaa has the received highest number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon making it host to the largest concentration of informal settlements and comprising a population increase of 67% between 2012 and 2016

Prior to the crisis, the region had a high prevalence of extreme poverty with 11 per cent of the population living below the extreme poverty line of USD$2.40 per day. The refugee influx has placed unprecedented strain on an already marginalized and poor region with fragile services and public infrastructure.

Across the region, Lebanese authorities are widely present to address security concerns. Lebanese security actors are engaged in deterring and preventing extremism. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has evicted families living in those informal settlements in proximity to military facilities and assets and along vital supply routes.
(Source: UNOCHA, 2016)

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