Syrian refugees’ debt out of control, aid group warns

Oxfam says families who have fled country are forced to borrow money to survive, falling into economic tailspin

By AP 21 November 2013, 10:01 am

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Syrian children stand near their tent at a refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon, on Monday, November 18, 2013. (photo credit: AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

BEIRUT — An international aid agency warns that debt levels of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are spiraling out of control, pushing entire families into a cycle of grinding poverty.

Oxfam says in a report released Thursday that refugee families in Lebanon are spending more than twice their monthly average income of $250. It says many families have exhausted their savings and have resorted to borrowing money as the job market in Lebanon has dried up.

It also says many Syrian children are not going to school because their parents can’t afford the additional expenses.

Oxfam based its conclusions on a survey of 1,500 people conducted last month.

There are some 800,000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, although Lebanese officials say there are an estimated half million more who have not registered.