The number of refugees fleeing from Syria into neighbouring Lebanon has passed the one million mark today, according to the United Nations.
Experts are claiming the host community is now stretched to breaking point because of rapidly depleting resources.
Just over three years after Syria's conflict began, Lebanon has become the country with the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide, struggling to keep pace with a crisis that shows no signs of slowing.
Refugees from Syria now equal almost a quarter of the resident population.
Middle East expert and church consultant Dr Harry Hagopian's told Premier's News Hour why he believes the international community can't allow the situation to continue.
As arrival of refugees continues to accelerate, Dr Hagopian's remarks have been reflected by the UN''s High Commissioner for Refugees.
António Guterres said: "The influx of a million refugees would be massive in any country. For Lebanon, a small nation beset by internal difficulties, the impact is staggering.
"The Lebanese people have shown striking generosity, but are struggling to cope. Lebanon hosts the highest concentration of refugees in recent history. We cannot let it shoulder this burden alone."
The UN says the impact on Lebanon has been immense. In April 2012, there were 18,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon; by April 2013, there were 356,000, and now, in April this year, one million.
Every day, the UNHCR says its staff in Lebanon register 2,500 new refugees.
The country has experienced serious economic shocks due to the conflict in Syria, including a decline in trade, tourism and investment and an increase in public expenditures.
Public services are struggling to meet increased demand, with health, education, electricity, and water and sanitation particularly taxed.
The World Bank estimates that the Syria crisis cost Lebanon £1.2 billion in lost economic activity last year and threatens to push 170,000 Lebanese into poverty by the end of this year.
Wages are plummeting, and families are struggling to make ends meet, according to UN estimates.
Children make up half the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon.
The number of school-aged children is now more than 400,000, eclipsing the number of Lebanese children in public schools.
These schools have opened their doors to some 100,000 refugees, yet the UN says the ability to accept more is severely limited.
Meanwhile, the UN says the humanitarian appeal for Lebanon is only 13 per cent funded, Christian aid agencies and others struggling to prioritise the most vulnerable of a needy population.
The organisation says limited humanitarian funding coupled with a steady erosion of refugees own reserves is having dire consequences.
The UN claims a growing number of refugees are unable to afford or to find suitable accommodation and are resorting to insecure dwellings.
According to the latest figues, some 80,000 urgently need health assistance, with more than 650,000 receiving monthly food aid, just to survive.