IOM and the Government of Japan Provide Critical Water Access and Street Lighting Assistance to Local Communities in Lebanon’s Saadnayel

Lebanon - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) through funding from the Government of Japan provided necessary water access and street lighting support to the community of Saadnayel in Lebanon’s Central Bekaa.  

Lebanon’s economic crisis has led to a breakdown in public infrastructure, including water, waste collection, and electricity, leaving many communities without basic services. 

Saadnayel is home to about 50,000 Lebanese residents as well as many Syrian refugees. Like many communities in Lebanon, Saadnayel has been severely affected by the country’s drastic economic collapse which has weakened basic infrastructure, obstructing access to clean water. Furthermore, community insecurity and theft have become more common as people resort to increasingly desperate coping measures to sustain themselves economically. These problems are aggravating tension between host and displaced communities.  

Following extensive and inclusive community engagement and coordination with the local municipality, IOM initiated a series of responses to address community issues and alleviate tensions. Eight months later, IOM visited Saadnayel and spoke with locals to assess the impact of these interventions. 

Water access 

Poor access to clean water has previously forced Saadnayel’s residents to turn to expensive alternatives such as buying bottled water or the unsustainable practice of digging boreholes in their backyard. 

“We used to have our own borehole, but it got drained out,” explained Amal, an elderly resident of Saadnayel, pointing to an empty well. 

To improve the water supply in the town, IOM partnered with a local NGO, Nabad Association, to improve the water network by installing a water filter on the existing water well built by the municipality. 

“We have been facing a problem with the water supply since the nineties,” explained Marwan Traboulsi from the municipality. “Since IOM installed the filter, our people have greatly benefited from having access to clean water”. 

The importance of clean water has become particularly critical considering Lebanon’s cholera outbreak in October 2022. Saadnayel, lies close to the Litani river, a major water source that is notoriously contaminated with various forms of raw sewage, pesticides, and most recently, cholera.  

Limited access to clean water and contamination of natural water sources has been an important factor behind the cholera spread, as poor households have no choice but to use contaminated sources.  

IOM has responded to the cholera outbreak by conducting outreach in communities at risk and spreading key information on symptoms, preventative measures, and how to access support. IOM has also distributed cholera hygiene kits, is conducting household level water testing to ensure sufficient chlorine levels for cholera prevention and is providing chlorine aqua-tabs to households based on these tests. 

Although, the water filter at Saadnayel is not designed to eradicate cholera, it is one step towards improving hygiene standards and access to clean water.  

Community Security 

IOM’s interventions in Saadnayel extend beyond water provision. For Hashem Succaria, a local engineer with an office located in Saadnayel, IOM’s support has made the town safer. 

 “Since the fuel and electricity crisis began, the streets in Saadnayel became pitch dark at night because there was no electricity,” Hashem said.  

“That is when the rate of thefts began to rise. I had my phone robbed,” he added, pointing out that the road’s location is sensitive as it connects host communities in Saadnayel center with informal settlements inhabited by refugees. 

In response to the insecurity along the road and the tension it was fueling between communities, IOM installed 15 solar lights to illuminate the street and not burden local electricity capacities.  

“There is less theft since the solar lamps were installed. It solved the problem of security and I feel safer going to the office,” Hashem said. 

 The interventions made in Saadnayel represent a small part of IOM’s wider community support projects implemented in North Lebanon, Akkar, and Bekaa, thanks to support from the Government of Japan.   

Overall, these projects have reached approximately 12,000 people, with interventions that improved essential services such as access to clean water, enhanced educational facilities, improved road safety, and more.