Lebanon

Lebanon has hosted more than one million refugees since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011.

This crisis has had a huge social and economic impact on the country, which was already experiencing internal difficulties. Indeed, the massive arrival of refugees from Syria has put great pressure on the already fragile social, economic and health infrastructures. At the economic level, it has led to a sharp drop in salaries, while a sharp decrease in natural resources, particularly water, has been observed.

Faced with this never-ending crisis, refugees are getting into debt or reducing their daily food intake. The nutritional situation is disastrous. Also, host communities and refugees often live in unsanitary conditions. The issue of housing is therefore paramount in these regions where habitats are inadequate and lack, for the most part, access to water and sanitation.

In August 2020, two explosions in the port of Beirut killed 200 people and injured thousands. The streets of the Lebanese capital were devastated, compounding the housing problems of refugees and their host communities.

In response to this crisis, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is intervening to meet the strong need for shelter and thus improve the living conditions of the population. The homes of the most vulnerable families are being rehabilitated and made safe.

Teams in the field are rehabilitating and building permanent infrastructures to guarantee access to water and sanitation. In order to mitigate health risks, water management and maintenance committees for rehabilitated buildings are set up. The aim is for the populations to be able to manage them over the long term and for them to be independent of private or public contractors.

Finally, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL’s teams are working to ensure that host communities and refugees work hand in hand to strengthen social cohesion.

To learn more about our work in Lebanon, please consult the articles below.