A Life Suspended: The State of Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon

With the Syrian conflict now entering its sixth year, the United Nations have declared that over 4.6 million Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries, with two-thirds of those settling in Lebanon and Jordan.

This sudden major influx of refugees has resulted in serious economic and social strains on the two host countries, which in turn, has impacted the lives of the Syrians refugees taking shelter within them.

In a bid to understand what it means to be a Syrian refugee in a host country, Ipsos MENA surveyed 2,200 Syrian refugee households in Lebanon and Jordan, looking at their daily lives, challenges, attitudes, and future aspirations.

Key findings include:

• 30% of Syrian households have no income and reliance on aid is high, with 85% receiving some form of aid;
• On average, only 23% of Syrians aged 18 years and above currently work – with as many as 4 in 10 Syrian employees getting paid for jobs done on a daily or hourly basis;
• 85% say they would move back to Syria within 6 months of the conflict ending.