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CRISIS IN LEBANON Syrian Refugees & Political Instability Background g Summary: y Current conflict in Syria has caused within Lebanon: A humanitarian crisis Economic E i iinstability t bilit Sectarian violence Brief History: Ottoman Empire French mandate Independence Sectarian politics Demographic changes Civil War Israeli & Syrian occupations Primary y Stakeholders Syria Æ Impact: Negative Hezbollah, the March 8th Alliance, and Shia Muslims Æ Impact: Mixed Lebanese Armed Forces & Government Æ Impact: Positive Future Movement, the March 14th Alliance, and Sunni Muslims Æ Impact: Mixed Secondary y Stakeholders United States Æ Impact: Mixed Iran Æ Impact: Mixed Israel ÆImpact: Negative United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Æ Impact: Positive Gulf Cooperation Council, Iraq, and Jordan Æ Impact: Negative History y of Armed Conflict Overall = deteriorating conflict (2006 - Present) Æ constant Refugees Produced (2006 - 2012) Æ increasing Refugees hosted, IDPs, Others of Concern (2006 present) Æ increasing significantly Armed Assessment: Spill-over from Syrian conflict has culminated in isolated attacks, and increasing refugees produced and hosted, leading to economic and political instability within Lebanon. Lebanon Governance & Political Instabilityy Overall = Stable Level of democracy (2006 - 2012) Æ constant Regime durability (2006 - 2012) Æ constant Restrictions on CR & PR (2006 - 2012) Æ decreased then increased Restrictions on Press Freedom ((2006 - 2013)) Æ slight g increase Control of corruption (2006 - 2012) Æ increased then decreased Assessment = the relative consistency of these indicators should have a stabilizing influence within Lebanon. Militarization Population p Heterogeneity g y Population Heterogeneity 9% 7% 30% 24% 30% Maronite Christians Shi'is Sunnis Druze Palestinians Demographic g p Stress Economic Performance (1/4) ( / ) GDP Growth Rate (Annual %) GDP per Capita, C it PPP 10 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 , 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 8 6 GDP per Capita, PPP GDP G Growth th Rate R t 4 2 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total Debt Service (% of GNI) Inflation (Annual %) 5 4 3 Inflation (Annual %) 2 1 0 25 20 15 10 5 0 Total Debt Service (% of GNI) 2006200720082009201020112012 World Bank Development Indicators Economic Performance (2/4) ( / ) Foreign Direct Investment Trade Openness 16 90 14 80 12 70 10 60 8 Foreign Direct Investment 6 50 Trade Openness 40 4 30 2 20 10 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Economic Performance (3/4) ( / ) SSyrian i conflict fli t iis negatively impacting: Tourism Trade Routes Economic Performance (4/4) ( / ) Refugee f Impact: Labour Rising unemployment Poverty Human Development p Up to 2011: Life expectancy: 80 Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1 deaths/1,000 000 live births Maternal mortality rate: 25 deaths/year School S h l enrollment ll rates: Primary: 95% Secondary: S d 76% After 2011, struggle for state to provide these services i Environmental Stress Population density: 428/km2 Freshwater resouces declining Deforestation rate is stable International Linkages g Conflict Factors • • • • Peace Factors Ongoing civil war in neighboring Syria , • Presence of the United Nation Interim resulting in large influxes of refugees Force in Lebanon since 1978 and instances of spillover violence • Strong international commitment to help Di t d tterritory Disputed it with ith Syria S i ((contested t t d L b Lebanon withstand ith t d the th mostt adverse d borders) and Israel (Shebaa Farms) demographic/economic/ human Sectarian paramilitaries receiving development pressures of the refugee international support crisis –notably, the creation of the Lowering of international economic International Support Group for Lebanon activities because of the ongoing Syrian by all major UN groups and the Security conflict –blockage of trade routes to Council. Jordan Iraq Jordan, Iraq, and nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council; active international dissuade against tourism in the region (an important source of revenue for the country). Scenarios: Six Months Ahead Best Case The Syrian Civil War is contained inside Syria's borders Prevention of any further spillover effect in Lebanon Sectarian violence between March 8th (Shiite Muslims) vs. March 14th Alliance (Sunni Muslims) diminishes enough so as not to constitute a threat to Lebanon's security. The UNHCR and the international community increase their refugee quotas International trade resumes and humanitarian aid flows into Lebanon to support its social infrastructure. Worst Case Syria's civil war causes spillover of violence into Lebanon and increase of sectarian tensions between the March 8th and March 14th Alliance Influx of refugees into Lebanon overwhelms the government's capacity to provide basic social services,, causing p g social unrest Additional investors cut off economic ties to Lebanon and bilateral aid comes too late These factors lead to the deterioration of governmental structures under the stress of the Syrian crisis Most Likely y Scenario “The conflict in Syria will continue to spill over into Lebanon. Hezbollah will continue to show their support for the Assad regime while the Lebanese government and March 14th Alliance maintain calls for Hezbollah to withdraw from the conflict, continuing to cause sectarian conflict in Lebanon. Refugees will continue to migrate and seek asylum in Lebanon, further augmenting financial pressures on the state and causing social unrest as poverty and unemployment deepen in Lebanon. Th iinternational The t ti l community it iis strongly t l supportive ti off LLebanon, b as evidenced by the creation of the International Support Group for Lebanon, and will take action to alleviate Lebanon’s financial pressure. This will ensure the Lebanese will face hardship, p but not the hardshipp of state failure.”