ARK-UNDP Public Opinion Research in the North and Akkar Details Living Conditions Driving Desperate Migration
The death toll from a Lebanese migrant boat that sank off the Syrian coast has risen to 94, the worst such tragedy in recent years. Criminal networks are likely to continue to exploit the desperation and sense of hopelessness stemming from the experience of the country’s compounded social and economic crises in future illegal migration and human trafficking operations as many of the most-vulnerable Lebanese citizens, Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees are compelled to look for new opportunities abroad.
Living conditions in northern Lebanon, including Tripoli and surrounding areas, have deteriorated rapidly over the previous year. Communities in this area have been especially hard hit by the sustained economic crisis. In a July 2022 survey conducted by ARK and UNDP Lebanon, approximately nine in ten households in the governorates of the North and Akkar reported being significantly worse off today, compared to one year ago. In Tripoli, 47% said that their household was ‘worse off’ than before, and 43% said that their household was ‘much worse off’ than before. In Akkar, responses were similar, with 54% saying that their household was ‘worse off’ than before and 39% saying that their household was ‘much worse off’.
Over 85% of households in both governorates said they were ‘sometimes’ or more often worried about access to food supplies, and over 40% said they worried about access to food supplies ‘all the time’. By this measure, households in the North and Akkar were at approximately twice the risk of food insecurity, compared to other regions in Lebanon. Households in the area were also extremely concerned about access to other essentials, including fuel, medicine, medical care and safe drinking water.
As a result of these deteriorating living conditions, communities in the area were extremely pessimistic regarding the future and saw little potential for the situation to improve. In the same survey, only 19% in the North and only 24% in Akkar said that they expected Lebanon to be ‘a better place to live’ within the next five years. The experience of the current economic crisis combined with high levels of political instability has also contributed to dramatically worsening perceptions of physical safety and security in the North and Akkar. When asked about security conditions in their neighbourhoods or villages, 70% in Akkar and 78% in the North said that conditions in their area had ‘worsened a little’ or ‘worsened a lot’ in the previous month. Four in ten (44%) in Akkar said that they felt ‘unsafe’ or ‘very unsafe’ at night, and seven in ten (71%) in the North also said that they felt ‘unsafe’ or ‘very unsafe’ at night.
Further Reading
Since 2017, under the Tension Monitoring System, UNDP has partnered with ARK to collect regular data on perceptions of social tensions in Lebanon. These surveys have been designed to solicit key insights on the impact of the political and economic crises that have affected Lebanon since late-2019, as well as the lasting impact of the Syria crisis beginning in 2011. Data collection for Wave XIV of the ARK-UNDP Regular Perception Surveys on Social Tensions throughout Lebanon concluded in July 2022. A summary of findings from the latest survey is available online here.