Donate 
Because of new regulations keeping refugee settlements at least 700 metres from primary roads, 675 families of Syrian refugees are being evicted from 32 informal settlements in several districts of Akkar governorate in North Lebanon. Our teams are following the situation closely to provide these populations with relief.
“According to the new regulations, sites must maintain a minimum 700-metre distance from primary roads. This is an unprecedented action that threatens to destabilize the refugee community,” alerts the Head of the UNHCR Akkar Sub-Office. “It is feared that the number of refugees forced to move could double if this requirement were applied to the entire governorate.’’
SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL began working in the majority of the evicted sites in March 2015, and therefore the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities were installed just months ago. ‘’The refugees are not taking a wait-and-see approach, as many families are in the process of packing up their meagre belongings. As residents dismantle their tents, the new latrine blocks and raised water tanks stand in stark solitude,” says Cyril Blin, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL Head of Mission in Lebanon.
The many vacated sites are reminiscent of a tornado trail, with debris from everyday refugee life marking residents’ hasty exit. ‘’Most refugees opt to live in informal settlements as their least expensive option. These are rough living conditions with scant protection from the wind, rain and sun. What little improvement families have been able to make to their shelters, concrete floors or bathing areas for example, will be lost,” Cyril Blin continues. They are also aware of the likelihood that new sites, as yet unassisted by the humanitarian community, will have not been equipped with water or sanitation facilities.
SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL ready to provide relief
“Despite their hardships, a sense of solidarity rises above the desperation of these refugees,” observes Leland Montell, our Field Coordinator for North Lebanon. “Most are determined to relocate in family or community units, preferring these difficulties to the prospect of returning to their war-torn homeland across the border. Although fatigue and frustration are also evident, they express the will to rebuild their makeshift homes and resume their daily lives, difficult as they may be. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL teams in the field are ready to provide water, sanitation and shelter assistance as soon as the new settlements are established.”
According to the latest Inter-Agency Vulnerability Assessment (VASyR 2015), 80% of the refugees in Akkar live below the Lebanese poverty line of US$3.84 per day. Assistance is therefore much needed as the Syrian crisis is in its fifth year.
Support our actions
Lebanon
Context and action- 5.6 million inhabitants
- 112th out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index
- 122.148 people helped