Syria refugee crisis threatens economic development through entire region

BERLIN – The head of the United Nations development agency is warning that Syria's refugee crisis is threatening economic development throughout the region because host countries cannot cope with the influx.

Helen Clark told a meeting Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, that the situation not only poses a humanitarian crisis but also threatens economies of neighboring countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey due to its impact on trade, agriculture, tourism, employment and demands on water use.

She said that by the end of the year, nearly 25 percent of Lebanon's population will be made up of refugees. The figure has already reached 10 percent in Jordan. Clark added that "clearly the costs on host communities and countries cannot be borne by them alone."