Three groups of lessons emerge from the literature:
- Political lessons include: understanding Lebanon’s historic refugee experience; understanding how sectarian divisions affect policy and decision-making; the limitations of excluding key stakeholders; and understanding historic relations between refugees and host communities.
- Strategic lessons include developing a medium-term refugee strategy for Lebanon, and ensuring donors meet funding pledges. UNHCR notes the need to improve: outreach to out-of-camp refugees, living standards and security in camps, and the early involvement of development actors.
- Practical lessons include: understanding the complexity and controversy of refugee camps; using service delivery to ease tensions – e.g. various reports recommend integrating refugee services into existing structures and making these accessible to host communities; partnering with local organisations; providing shelter and infrastructure; targeting urban refugees; understanding the varying impacts of refugees on different host communities; and using targeted development assistance that integrates the needs of refugees and host communities.
