The 15 month crackdown in Syria has produced a wave of refugees to nearby Lebanon. According to the UN Refugee Agency, there were more than 17,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Most of these refugees came from the restive Homs region, and are currently located in North east Lebanon. Here is a latest “situation report” from the UN Refugee Agency
One of the more worrisome trends has been the spillover of the Syria conflict to Lebanon in recent weeks. The sectarian nature of the fighting in Syria is inflaming tensions in Lebanon, which is just recovering from nearly three decades of sectarian strife. There is a not-insignificant chance that the conflict in Syria may reignite these old tensions and plunge Lebanon back into civil war.
When Kofi Annan warns that the Syria conflict may spread and destabilize the whole region, this is what he is talking about.