Corruption Hits Aid Efforts for Poorest Syrian Refugees

Corrupt middlemen have worked their way into the aid network for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, charging fees to provide food, blankets, and other items meant to be distributed as charity, according to the Associated Press.

Refugees in one of the many unofficial tent camps that have sprung up in Lebanon to house about 160,000 Syrians fleeing the civil war in their country told the wire service they often have to pay up to $100 in bribes to shopkeepers, camp strongmen, or local officials to get consignments of aid or speed their registration for social services.

Refugees who register with UNHCR—the United Nations refugee agency that oversees aid for the Syrian crisis with about 60 partner organizations—get a card they can use to buy $30 of food each month, but when that runs out they often turn to smaller charities that lack distribution networks and use local operators to disburse supplies.

“It’s a common issue across all operations and we are well aware of it,” said Ninette Kelley, the UNHCR representative in Lebanon. She said extensive checks and outreach to refugees keep the abuse from becoming widespread.