Massive and Urgent Needs for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

An additional one million Syrians have been displaced within Syria’s borders since last December as a result of the conflict’s latest escalation. While ongoing conflict continues to destroy infrastructure and obstruct access to clean water, increased internal displacement places additional strain on already-stressed water sources.

The health of the people of Syria is directly and significantly impacted by the contamination of water sources brought on by failing infrastructure and wastewater flooding. In the northwest of the nation, there are more settlements and camps for displaced people, many of which share latrines that do not adhere to the bare minimum of humane norms. Many of these latrines lack gender separation, which puts women at danger for extra security issues.

The poorest families cannot afford clean water due to inflated pricing and exchange rates. Families pay, on average, 25% of their income on potable water from water tanks in some towns like Deir-ez-Zor, Daraa, or Idlib. In addition, according to a poll of 24,000 people conducted in 2018 by Action Against Hunger, 11% of Syrian households lack access to all necessary hygiene products.

Priorities in Syria for Fighting Hunger

Since 2008, Action Against Hunger teams have been working in Syria, primarily addressing the requirements for water, sanitation, and hygiene. We oversee 29 projects to boost access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in seven provinces, to renovate and upgrade shelters, and to develop capacity in rural regions out of our operating bases in Aleppo, Damascus, and Al-Hasakah.

For instance, the public infrastructure in the southern Syrian town of Salim is insufficient to provide clean water to all residents. In order to generate enough power to pump water into the pipe system and supply many more homes with water, Action Against Hunger constructed solar systems.