Thousands of Syrian and Palestinian refugees are seeking refuge in Lebanon after an intense round of fighting in Syria last weekend. Lebanon has become home to more than 160,000 Syrian refugees  and is welcoming an increasing number of Palestinian refugees - a development that poses new challenges for a country struggling to maintain economic and political stability.

Palestinian refugees were fleeing an attack on Yarmouk camp in Southwest Damascus by Syrian regime forces. The attack came after rebel forces were drawn into the camp by intense fighting of rival Palestinian groups. At least three thousand Palestinian refugees arrived in Lebanon on Monday and the numbers are expected to rise sharply in the upcoming weeks.

Lebanese authorities have offered shelter, medical treatment and assistance to Syrian refugees, but the increasing influx is straining a dire economic situation and a precarious political balance. Palestinian refugees living in camps across Lebanon have for decades suffered from neglect and a humanitarian crisis overshadowed by political disagreement on the fate of those refugees. The influx of Palestinian refugees from Damascus risks igniting similar fears of a possible shift in the country's sectarian balance.

Lebanon has thus far kept its borders open to the inflow of victims but has refused to build camps for fear they would turn into permanent homes for the refugees. Despite requests by both Energy Minister Gebran Basil and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour to close the Syria-Lebanon borders, their calls have been shot down by March 14 leaders, as well as Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The government requested aid from the international community and is starting to receive traction from the European Union, the U.S. and the UN.

The UN today stepped up and offered Lebanon $267 million to assist with the new influx of both Syrian and Palestinian refugees. This will go a long way in helping the government tend to the refugees' basic needs. The government has also opened the door for Syrian children to enroll in public schools. However, families are unable to afford education, and as a result, the dropout rate of Syrian children is twice the national average for their Lebanese counterparts.

International aid will assist the government in easing the financial burden; however, the responsibility of maintaining order and security rests with the state. Lebanese authorities must devise a comprehensive refugee strategy that offers refugees basic rights during their stay in Lebanon. Their fate should not be subject of the whims of ministers seeking to settle political scores with their adversaries. Furthermore,  Lebanese authorities must deploy the army and Internal Security Forces in areas inhabited by the refugees to maintain stability both inside and outside the camps. A proactive, comprehensive approach is crucial in shielding Lebanon from rising tensions and safeguarding the rights of the refugees as they struggle to survive.