The Syrian Exodus Deepens: A Personal Argument Forces 75 Syrian Families to Sleep in The Open Severe Cold

A Lebanese citizen set the Al-Miniyeh refugee camp on fire after a heated argument with one of the Syrian residents there, Saturday night. The fire forced 75 Syrian families to leave the blazing makeshift camp in north Lebanon and had been living in the open freezing cold of December since then.

Translation: "A dispute between Lebanese and Syrians have destroyed a whole refugee camp in al-Miniyeh to the north of Lebanon"

According to AFP, at least 75 Syrian families have lost their temporary homes in a Syrian refugee camp in the al-Miniyeh area near Tripoli after a Lebanese citizen set the camp on fire following a personal dispute between him and one of the refugees, leaving their fate in limbo.

While none of the residents were physically hurt during the blaze, the residents of the camp were reportedly carrying their kids as they ran towards nearby agricultural fields, waiting for firefighters to put the fire out. However, many of them have lost their most valuable possessions, including a man who has reportedly lost a large amount of money he was saving to upgrade his family's situation.

Social media users widely shared photos and videos of the fire, as they condemned the "collective punishment" that targets Syrians whether at home or in countries they sought refuge in.

During recent years, human rights organizations have shed light on a rising hostility often characterized as xenophobia against Syrian refugees in Lebanon, especially as prominent Lebanese politicians express support for facilitating Syrian's return to their home country, including ones whose hometowns continue to be rocked by the war.

Additionally, many Syrian refugees have voiced out their fear of returning to their home country under the current political regime, saying that their activism against the Assad government during the war years will lead to their persecution.