January 2020 – With the Syria crisis in its ninth year, Lebanon continues to host over an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, most of whom reside in host communities. As personal savings erode and needs outpace available international assistance, over 70% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon now live below the poverty line. Hosting the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide has strained the abilities of local communities to provide essential services, and threatens a delicate balance of peace in the country. With GAC’s support, Oxfam-Québec is providing basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and protection services to Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese. Project activities include: (1) providing new and rehabilitated sanitation facilities; (2) providing training to community hygiene volunteers, and hygiene kits; (3) providing protection services to refugees in host communities; and (4) designing and implementing community based protection groups.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved access to gender-responsive WASH assistance for refugees living in Informal Settlements; and (2) improved effectiveness of conflict-affected populations, particularly women and girls, in responding to protection threats across their communities. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved, suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.
