Bebnine, a village in North Lebanon, is home to 80,000 residents – 60,000 Lebanese and 20,000 Syrian refugees. The community has faced significant challenges, including a shortage of essential services, exacerbated by the economic crisis. For potable water, residents had to rely on the Dahr el Rayye well. Electricity outages and high fuel costs, however, have forced many to depend on water trucking from unknown sources. This was particularly risky during the 2020 cholera outbreak, which caused over 5000 cases and 12 fatalities nationwide while Bebnine registered the highest number of cases. The water crisis in Bebnine intensified social tensions and resentment, specifically towards the Syrian population. In response, USAID through the Community Support Program (CSP) assisted Bebnine in upgrading and providing a solar energy field to the Dahr el Rayye water pumping station; this included 260 solar panels to power the pump and the chlorination system, fencing, electromechanical works, and site upgrade. CSP also trained the community on operating and maintaining the solar energy field and the pumping station.
This assistance in USAID funding was completed in December 2024 and is now providing the community with 13 liters of safe potable water per person per day as compared to 7 liters prior to the assistance. “This critical upgrade addresses the urgent needs of Bebnine’s residents by securing access to clean water and preventing future outbreaks of disease. The intervention has offered a sustainable, long-term solution to the ongoing crisis,” said Kifah Kassar, Mayor of Bebnine.