Palestinian refugees in Lebanon renewed appeals to UNRWA and the Popular Committee to provide sufficient clean water and end worsening humanitarian conditions in Beirut and southern Lebanon.
Amid escalating living crises facing Palestinian refugees in Lebanese camps, administrators of the Al Murshid well in Ain al Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon announced a decision to reduce water supply hours. The same situation applies to residents of the Burj al Barajneh camp in the southern suburbs of Beirut, who face water scarcity due to a breakdown at the Al Wazzan well.
Administrators of Al Murshid recently said, "With regret, operating hours of the well will be reduced to only three hours per day. This necessary measure follows a decision by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, to cut the diesel allocated to operate the well to less than half, preventing operation according to usual hours"
They stressed that the situation is beyond their control and urged residents to understand the critical circumstances, asking them to use water rationally.
Abu Mohammad, a resident of Ain al Hilweh, described to Al Araby al Jadeed, the Arabic language sister publication of The New Arab, "The water crisis is no longer bearable. We wait for the few hours of pumping to store what we can, as if we are living in a constant state of emergency. Three hours a day are not enough to secure drinking water, water for daily use and personal hygiene, or any basic needs."
"The problem extends to the cost of buying water, which many cannot afford, especially as most camp residents are low-income and elderly. We call on the concerned authorities, foremost UNRWA, to assume full responsibility, because water is not a luxury but a basic human right," he said.
"It is impossible to speak about health, cleanliness and disease prevention under these conditions. We are not asking for the impossible. We only want safe water in sufficient quantities," Abu Mohammad added.
In a separate interview with Al Araby al Jadeed, Firdaws Maysour Nassar, a social activist in Burj al Barajneh camp, said, "When we ask the popular committee about the cause of the water crisis, it holds UNRWA responsible. When we ask the agency, it says it provided diesel a year ago, but it was stolen within three days. The agency says it does not know who stole it, yet acknowledges it handed over the required quantities to the popular committee."
"Committee members later changed, and the file remained without accountability or follow-up. We are facing an ongoing crisis, and what is required is an immediate solution, not an exchange of accusations," Nassar added.
Nassar further noted there are two main reasons for the current crisis: first, limited pumping hours because UNRWA does not provide sufficient diesel to operate water generators; and second, the breakdown of the generator that pumps water to homes. Repairs require two parts: the first costs $2,500, and the second costs between $2,500 and $4,000. UNRWA refuses to cover the cost, while the Popular Committee says it lacks the budget.
"We are stuck between two sides without a solution," she said. "A small group has been able to subscribe to fresh water for 35 dollars per month, but most residents cannot afford this."
"In the Al Wazzan area specifically, the generator pumping water to homes has broken down. Available water is calcareous and highly saline, harming physical health and corroding most pipes and household tools," she added. "The generator costs between 2,500 and 4,000 US dollars, yet no party is acting, neither UNRWA nor the popular committee nor the Palestinian factions. Refugees are left without sufficient or drinkable water, while the cheapest water tank costs 500,000 Lebanese pounds, about six dollars."
"We call on UNRWA and the Popular Committee to find a radical solution to the water crisis," Nassar said. "It is unreasonable to give people guidance on hygiene and disease prevention while water suitable for bathing, washing vegetables, laundry and cleaning is unavailable."
Maha Mahmoud, also a resident of Burj al Barajneh camp, said, “The available water is highly saline and unfit for use, causing health problems including allergies, skin diseases, severe dryness and hair loss. It has also caused damage to household possessions, such as taps, mixers, and tanks, due to rust. The water is not subject to any health testing or monitoring.”
She told Al Araby Al Jadeed, "We are forced to buy fresh water every three days for bathing, washing vegetables, cooking and even ablution, as saline water cannot be used for any of these purposes. The monthly cost of buying fresh water exceeds $100, a heavy burden on camp residents amid Lebanon's difficult economic conditions. We also have to buy a water tank for 350,000 Lebanese pounds, about four dollars, every three days, and it only covers basic use."
"We feel abandoned, and that service and aid reductions are deliberate, increasing daily suffering and making life almost impossible," she said. "The aim is clear: to pressure Palestinian refugees and push them to leave, while most of us have no alternative or ability to rent outside the camp. This is not a dignified life. What we are living is a real tragedy that worsens day by day, amid the absence of oversight and accountability, leaving refugees alone to face poverty and disease."
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.