Vulnerable beneficiaries residing in collective shelters face difficulties in accessing specialized services amidst an economic collapse which rendered their living condition even worse
The economic collapse in Lebanon has exerted extra pressure on an already suffering population. Refugees who already had hard time in making ends meet are being forced to evict their homes due to their inability to pay rent for landlords. To witness the sad reality refugees currently live in, touches emotionally more than words ever can. The skyrocketing prices of daily necessities such as food, water, medicine, and more has made them more of luxury items which forced people to downgrade their standards of living even further. Moreover, landlords are continuously requesting higher rental fees as the Lebanese currency devaluates with time as they are also facing the consequences of an uncontrolled inflation. However, refugees with either steady or minimal income are being placed at risk of either complying with such requests or evicting their housing units. In such cases, they are forced to either move into cheaper units which are in an even worse condition or into informal settlements where it gets harder from there for lots of families.
The huge influx of syrian refugees into Lebanon has placed a high demand on specialized services provided by donors and INGOs which acts as a heavy burden on the ability to deliver such services to all refugees in timely manner. This demonstrates a great need for collaboration between multiple working sectors to develop and utilize adequate channels to help provide swift access to essential services.
Collective shelters often reflect a small sample of a larger population of refugees. In such shelters, refugees can be seen living in units lacking kitchen, toilet, doors, windows, electricity and running water. On top of that, rental fees are on the hike with minimal intervention from landlords in rehabilitating the units to meet basic shelter needs for habitants to reside in.
Intersos has been taking action in raising shelter standards through the help of donors like the UNHCR. Our intervention has helped countless families to preserve their current shelters through brokering a deal with landlords in providing a rent free living place for residents in return for shelter rehabilitation. This modality helped both parties through restoring the shelter to a better condition which aims to satisfy the needs of the landlords and beneficiaries simultaneously. As a core part of our work, it is crucial to help deliver emergency aid to those who need it most. Intersos will continue to provide a helping hand to vulnerable families and facilitate a life of dignity and hope for both adults and youth.