The presence of high numbers of refugees continues to add pressure on Lebanon’s existing water and waste water infrastructure.
UNHCR’s strategy on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is aimed at helping both refugees and the Lebanese communities hosting them. It targets the needs of refugees in informal settlements, as well as refugees living in Lebanese communities, through the implementation of water and waste water projects that strengthen and/or rehabilitate existing infrastructure.
UNHCR’s interventions are identified in coordination with Lebanese authorities at central, governorate and municipal level. They range from the rehabilitation of storm water channels to the construction of reservoirs, and even the drilling and equipping of boreholes.
In line with Government policy, no formal refugee camps were established in Lebanon in response to the influx of Syrian refugees. This policy has facilitated the way international aid has been channeled to both hosting and refugee communities, benefiting some of the most vulnerable Lebanese and ensuring that humanitarian interventions are linked with national and municipal development plans in the long term. The Government of Lebanon has ensured refugees are able to reside across the country and are included in municipal services in an equal manner.
To support these efforts over the past 10 years, more than 270 WASH & shelter projects (totaling more than 77.68 million) were carried out across Lebanon to improve the water and sanitation networks and facilities in the most vulnerable areas across Lebanon and enhancing the municipalities’ solid waste management capacity.