It is not difficult to grasp that such a massive influx of people into a country which itself is suffering from aging infrastructure and a weakened would tax the resources of Lebanon, and it was inevitable that such a strain would raise tensions between the host communities and the displaced Syrians.
But while until now there seemed to be no way out of this conundrum, today there is hope. For over two and half years Lebanon had been without a president and with no accord among politicians and leaders from rival camps, a state of affairs that left the most basic requirements of the country’s own citizens unaddressed and left host communities incapable of tending to their own needs let alone those of their wards.
But the election of a new president opened the door for change for the better. The remarkable decision to put the country’s needs ahead of personal gain is certain to restore confidence in the country, while a new government, once formed, can finally work to revive the economy and restore basic services.
All this in conjunction can, hopefully, precipitate the receipt of aid pledges for the Syrian refugees as well as for the host communities, while the state can finally find itself in a position to address the needs of its citizens, improve conditions for the displaced and devise solutions to the hardships they face.
It is not unreasonable to expect that such a development will go a long way toward easing tensions on the ground and result in circumstances that allow all concerned to live in dignity, while affording refugees a semblance of the security and stability that they enjoyed before the war until such time that they can return to their homes