Nine out of ten Syrian refugee families live in extreme poverty in Lebanon due to the accelerating economic collapse that it has been witnessing for a year, according to a study issued by the United Nations Friday.

Lebanon estimates that there are 1.5 million Syrian refugees on its soil, about one million of whom are registered with the UNHCR. They live in difficult humanitarian conditions, exacerbated by the economic crisis, which was deepened by the outbreak of the coronavirus and then by the explosion of Beirut Port.

The results of a study conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Program and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) showed that "the economic downturn, severe inflation, the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, and finally the Beirut explosion have pushed vulnerable communities in Lebanon - including Syrian refugees - to the brink of the precipice."

The study showed that the percentage of Syrian refugee families who are now "living below the extreme poverty line" reached 89 percent in 2020, compared to 55 percent last year.

These families live on less than 308,728 Lebanese pounds per person per month, which is equivalent to 205 dollars according to the official exchange rate and about 38 dollars according to the black market rate.

In a statement, the organizations stated that "nine out of every ten Syrian refugee families in Lebanon are currently living in extreme poverty."

"The situation of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon has been deteriorating for years," said the representative of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, Mireille Girard.

She added that the refugees are facing today "the most difficult winter for them to date in Lebanon, with meager resources that are not enough for them to enjoy warmth and safety."

And the debt accumulated on refugees in Lebanon rose by 18 percent, according to the study, which indicated that "the main reason for borrowing is to buy food."

In light of the economic collapse, more than half of Lebanon's population is living below the poverty line, with tens of thousands losing their jobs or sources of income, and their purchasing power with the deterioration of the exchange rate of the Lebanese pound and the rise in food prices.

According to the United Nations, the price of foodstuffs in Lebanon has increased "almost three times since the month of October 2019," an increase of about 174 percent.

Half of the Syrian families surveyed in the study suffer from food insecurity, compared to 28 percent in 2019. The number of families that rely on insufficient food systems has also doubled from 25 percent in 2019 to 49 percent in 2020.

The study showed that these families resort to several methods of adaptation, including early marriage of children, removing them from school, or sending them to work.