Switzerland helps Lebanon with drinking water supply
Published: Wednesday, Dec 11th 2024, 17:00
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There is a lack of clean drinking water in Lebanon due to the current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Switzerland has therefore decided to support the ongoing aid measures in the Bekaa Valley. The aim is to guarantee access to water for those affected.
The aid measures will continue for the next three months and complement ongoing activities by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the context of the crisis in Lebanon, as announced by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Wednesday. The SDC had already made seven million Swiss francs available in September.
The SDC has now sent five drinking water modules to the region, each of which can supply over 5,000 people. The modules arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday and will be set up in various locations in the Bekaa Valley.
According to the FDFA, two specialists have arrived to support the small SDC team in Zahlé. They install the equipment and ensure that the water is treated and analyzed. The SDC has been carrying out a project on site for several years to ensure efficient water management.
According to the FDFA, over 870,000 people fled from the attacks to other parts of Lebanon, including around 100,000 to the Bekaa Valley. Many Syrian refugees were already living in this mountainous region along the border with Syria. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated, particularly access to clean drinking water.
The SDC is also working with the non-governmental organization Oxfam, which will set up ten 95,000-litre tanks near natural springs, according to the FDFA. The treated water will be distributed by tanker. In this way, around 60,000 people per day will have access to clean drinking water, according to the statement.
©Keystone/SDA
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