Water for Lebanon

Hay Al Shaab Wal Zahraa village, Baalbek, eastern Lebanon. Even a decade ago, residents of this part of the country were plagued by inadequate infrastructure, including insufficient access to water. 2011 was a test of stability and solidarity for the region. Military conflict erupted in neighbouring Syria, which has since driven an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees into Lebanon. Most of them have settled in the low-income Bekaa Valley in the east of the country, which is separated from Syria by a single mountain range.

„There are 900,000 Lebanese citizens living in the Bekaa, but we host over a million Syrian refugees. The infrastructure was built for a million people, but today we have to provide water for two million people,“ describes the situation the director of the local water company in RTVS reportage.

An exception is not even the village Hay Al Shaab Wal Zahraa near the town of Baalbek, where approximately 8 000 Syrians have long settled in addition to 21 000 local Lebanese. It was here, following the advice of the local authorities, that we decided to lend a helping hand and build a large-capacity water tank with a capacity of 500m3 to ensure stable access to drinking water for all, local and refugee alike, without distinction. 

THE ARDUOUS JOURNEY TO A WORKING TAP

Since the inception of this idea two years ago, unexpected obstacles have repeatedly crossed our plans. Mass civil unrest, pandemics, and especially the severe economic crisis in Lebanon, compounded by the aftermath of the tragic explosion in Beirut, have constantly disrupted the construction schedule and tested our ability to find solutions in dynamically changing circumstances.

We were motivated by a nice incident when, after the completion of the tank construction, it was time for the technical test, which involves filling the tank halfway. Before the evaluation committee from the waterworks could arrive, the locals pumped the water out on their own. We couldn't have gotten better proof that we were helping in the right place at the right time!

In May 2021, we were able to complete the last tasks on the list:

1. Expose the water tank and pass the technical tests
2. Connect the tank to a local well that draws water from a depth of 500m
3. Connect the tank to the water supply network
4. Build a new substation and connect the pumps to the power supply

We have thus moved to the point that has been our driving force all along:

• Hand over the reservoir to local residents so that they can fill their first glass of drinking water from the taps

HANDOVER CEREMONY

Balloon decorations, representatives of local authorities and especially a functional water reservoir. This was the welcome our director received in Baalbek in May 2021, when he attended the handover ceremony of the reservoir as part of the official visit of the Slovak state delegation. Under the auspices of the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Ingrid Brockova, the working trip was attended by representatives of SlovakAid - the Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation - and the non-profit sector. 

LIFE IN TENT SETTLEMENTS

Syrian refugees in Lebanon mostly live in rented, simple apartments or dilapidated and abandoned buildings. However, it is in the Bekaa Valley that many of them have set up small informal tent settlements consisting of several families. Access to water is even more complicated for people in tent settlements as they do not have a connection to the municipal water network. 

In one of the homesteads, we installed a smaller water tank with a capacity of 10,000 litres and water distribution to all the tents so that each family has more stable and easier access to potable water for hygiene and household care.

In the homesteads, our field staff also organized training sessions on the careful and safe management of water resources. We prepared hygiene and disinfection kits for 70 families to contribute to better living conditions and protect the health of the community. 

WHERE ARE OUR NEXT STEPS?

The social situation for both locals and refugees is steadily worsening due to the economic crisis in the country. Our recent visit also convinced us that help is still needed and warmly welcomed. We will already be launching further humanitarian activities in Lebanon this summer to help Syrian refugees and their host communities. Keep following our work!