Norwegian Church Aid

Our work in Lebanon focuses on two topics: Climate Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; and Gender-Based Violence.

Due to the war in its neighboring country Syria, Lebanon has experienced a mass influx of refugees since 2011. The size of the refugee population has resulted in a 25% increase in the country’s population and immense pressure on infrastructure such as water, solid waste and electricity, as well as available public services especially within the health care and education sectors. It is estimated that the surge in population has increased the amount of solid waste by 15% and wastewater by 14%, resulting in poor hygienic conditions and environmental health for Syrian refugees and host populations.  According to the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2019, 3,208,800 these lack access to safe water. This can lead to serious health risks and exposure to disease, especially in crowded living conditions, such informal tented settlements or substandard shelters. The protracted nature of the Syrian conflict has had a domino effect on neighboring countries like Lebanon, leading to declining economic conditions and increased vulnerabilities for refugee communities, particularly women and girls. The needs overview in the LCRP (2019) directly links these socioeconomic vulnerabilities to increased rates of violence against women and children, and harmful practices such as child marriage. The current economic crisis in Lebanon has increased poverty and unemployment rates and will mean that large parts of the population, both refugees and vulnerable Lebanese, will continue to depend on humanitarian aid.