"While the small Mediterranean country has become a refuge for more than a million people fleeing the civil war in neighboring Syria, some native Lebanese are desperate to leave, especially those from the impoverished northern Akkar region where violence spilling over from Syria has surged this year.
More than 230,000 Syrians have registered with the United Nations in the north, an influx that has pushed down wages and hiring and strained an already weak infrastructure. Gun battles and bombings in Tripoli have put surrounding areas on edge.
Lebanese media said at least 18 of the 31 victims of last month's disaster were from Akkar. The region receives only a few hours of electricity each day and has little access to drinking water. Schools and hospitals are desperately under-funded, locals say." (thanks Michele)
More than 230,000 Syrians have registered with the United Nations in the north, an influx that has pushed down wages and hiring and strained an already weak infrastructure. Gun battles and bombings in Tripoli have put surrounding areas on edge.
Lebanese media said at least 18 of the 31 victims of last month's disaster were from Akkar. The region receives only a few hours of electricity each day and has little access to drinking water. Schools and hospitals are desperately under-funded, locals say." (thanks Michele)
