Help Strengthen the Resilience of Syrian Refugees

Dear Supporter,

Thanks in part to your generous contributions, Concern Worldwide continues to work with Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey, providing basic needs such as clean water, food, clothing and shelter. We also provide education, psycho-social support, and community based protection efforts. Today, I would like to focus on our programming in Lebanon.  

As I have mentioned in past reports, 1.5 million Syrian refugees have been absorbed into Lebanon since 2011, swelling the country’s population by an incredible 25%. The influx of refugees has created a housing crisis, in which dramatic surges in demand have increased rental prices, meaning that many Syrian families are no longer able to secure decent accommodations. As a result, they are often forced to live in poor conditions and frequently in spaces that were never meant to be inhabited, or buildings that were never completed. An estimated 38% of refugees in northern Lebanon are now living in overcrowded or substandard conditions which lack basic services. Many structures are simply not equipped for the heat of Lebanon’s summer or the freezing temperatures of the winter months. The health risks, danger, and indignity of these living situations inevitably add copious amounts of stress to the already stressful life of a refugee. 

Concern’s team in Lebanon is helping to improve living conditions for these Syrian families. This means adapting and rehabilitating substandard buildings so that they meet a family’s most basic needs. The work includes repairing walls, roofs and windows, installing water storage, toilets, hand-washing and hygiene facilities and septic tanks, and connecting buildings to sewage networks. In 2016 alone, Concern helped improve the basic living conditions for almost 4,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

These practical interventions have made a huge difference to the lives of Hamza* and his family. Hamza’s family fled Syria for Lebanon after he lost his leg in a landmine explosion. At first, they found a house to live in but were soon evicted when they couldn’t pay the rent. Their only option then was a shell of a house, which was essentially a set of walls with no roof, windows, or doors. Hamza, a former farmer, made a makeshift roof overhead and placed an old wooden door across the entrance to prevent wild animals from entering, but the family never felt safe. 

The Concern team worked with Hamza to make his new home safe and secure and provide basic hygiene facilities for the family.  Life remains tough, as Hamza still has trouble getting around due to his injuries, and feeding the family is a constant struggle.  However, thankfully, they now don’t fear for their safety each night.  He tells us: 

“We were afraid before. When it was stormy, we used to stand with our children outside to avoid the roof from falling on top of our head. The children couldn’t use the toilet at night, and we were very afraid. When Concern came to us, our situation changed and we started to feel safe.”

Thanks in part to your contributions, people like Hamza can come home at night to somewhere safe and suitable for habitation, allowing them to plan for a brighter future for themselves and their families.  

*Name changed for security purposes