Environmental Conditions In Palestinian Camps in Lebanon - Case Study
Source: FOFOGNET Digest, 5 September 1999.
by Ali M Zeidan, Ph.D.
Synopsis
The Palestinian refugees,
in Lebanon, are living in camps
established in 1949 by the Lebanese
government and UNRWA on small areas.
UNRWA provides the basic services
such as water supply, refuse disposal,
sanitation, and the construction
and maintenance of roads for 12
refugees camps, where about 53%
of the registered refugees live,
distributed all over Lebanon. The
water and sewerage services in
the camps are poor and rapidly
deteriorated due to the absence
of proper infrastructure elements
and inadequate water supply sources.
The constructed sewers and water
distribution systems are characterized
by lack of long term planning,
absence of proper municipal connections,
as well as lack of proper stormwater
drainage. The situation is usually
treated on temporary basis, and
partial solutions are given to
chronic problems, which cause health
hazards and nuisance. The study focuses
on Ein-El-Helweh camp, the largest
camp in Lebanon, as a case study,
and it overviews the water supply
and sanitation conditions, as the
camp experienced incidence of waterborne
diseases, which was ascribed to
the poor water supply and sanitation
conditions.
Introduction
The Palestinian refugees
in Lebanon were living in 15 camps
distributed all over Lebanon, and
established by UNRWA in 1949 after
they had been expelled of their
own homeland. UNRWA provides the
basic services to the refugees
such as education, health and relief,
and social services, in addition
to water supply and sanitation.
According to UNRWA estimates (UNRWA,
1995), the total number of registered
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
is about 346164, about 53.6% of
whom are living in 12 recognized
camps. The Palestinian refugees
camps in Lebanon are characterized
by small land areas, high population
density, and the absence of proper
infrastructures. They have similar
conditions as those of poor developing
communities which are crowded in
population and deprived of the
minimum environmental quality conditions.
The Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
have suffered since they have been
found from deprivation, economic
and social hardships; the most
severe conditions were during the
civil war period. The hardships
facing the refugees include: inhibition
of reconstructing the damaged camps,
deterioration of proper living
condition, crowded households,
inadequate safe water sources,
absence of proper wastewater disposal
and solid waste management, in
addition to other humanitarian
and social problems in a community
of high unemployment rates approaching
40% (UNRWA, 1995). Fighting damaged
great parts of the camps; three
of the camps were completely destroyed,
and their residents were displaced
into other camps. In 1982 during
the Israeli invasion of Lebanon,
more than 58% of the houses in
8 camps were damaged, while the
damage impact was more severe and
comprehensive in Ein-El-Helweh
camp, where the services and infrastructure
were totally damaged (Hoole et.
al., 1984).
The issue of environmental conditions
in the Palestinian refugees camps
has not been discussed before,
though it is one of the camps'
chronic problems. The purpose of
this paper is to overview, explain,
and discuss the complicated and
chronic environmental conditions
in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon
with emphasis on Ein-El-Helweh
camp as a case study though it
is not as worse as other camps.
Unfortunately, information is not
easily available, particularly
those related to the existing services;
however, information appeared herein
relied on personal contacts and
field visits and investigations.
General Conditions
The camps were
found on temporal basis waiting
for the solution of refugees problem.
Accordingly, UNRWA had built temporary
structures and infrastructures
which were not developed during
the past years despite the increase
in refugees numbers and the development
in social and economic conditions
among refugees. The congested buildings
and the absence of proper infrastructures
played a significant role in deteriorating
the quality of living conditions
in the camps. UNRWA, which is responsible
of the camps, declared that (As-safir,
1995) its plans of rehabilitation
and reconstruction of the infrastructure
in the camps wait the permission
of the ministry of interior. It
may be concluded that worse environmental
conditions in addition to other
humanitarian aspects will encourage
people to leave the camp and the
country to look for safe asylum.
Living in the congested camps
is considered as a sign of poverty
and deprivation (Sayigh, 1996),
where about 11% of the total population
is registered in the "hardship
cases" program (UNRWA, 1995). The
main reason of high population
density is referred to the small
areas allowed for refugees to build
in. Besides, they are not allowed
to expand outside the camps' borders;
however, the lands allocated for
refugee camps in 1949 have not
been increased during the past
50 years, but on the contrary,
they were reduced in some places
and totally demolished in others.
To overcome this problem the refugees
expanded vertically, and built
tortured buildings in order to
find asylum for more new families.
In most cases, the resulted buildings
lack the minimum requirements for
healthy living and are poor in
their environmental conditions.
Ein-El-Helweh refugee camp, the
largest refugee camp in Lebanon,
was established in 1949 at 3 km
to the south east of Saida, about
45 km south of Beirut; its area
is about 318,236 m2 (32 ha). Since
1976 the camp has received thousands
of emigrants and displaced refugees
from other damaged camps in Beirut
and south Lebanon. However, there
is no exact figure of the population
in the camp; it was estimated in
the range between 38,483 as registered
by UNRWA (UNRWA, 1995) and 80,000
according to local estimates (As-safir,
1997) including the new groupings
recently developed around the camp.
Some figures refer to the presence
of 8826 shelter approximately (UNRWA,
1996). Assuming the average family
members to be 6.2, therefore, the
population should be about 55000,
and the population density approaches
1719 person per hectare.
Water Supply
The water supply pattern
has been developed from distribution
by water tanker to public water
standpipes then into household
connections. The development was
done by various uncoordinated efforts
of the inhabitants, NGO's, and
UNRWA. It was based on temporary
basis which did not consider the
future demands of population. At
present the camp is supplied with
water from two sources (Sanitation
Section, 1997): municipal sources,
which provide about 60% of the
consumed water quantity, and local
wells inside the camp, which provide
40%. Four wells and elevated tank
of capacity 280 m3 were constructed
during the 1980's by local committees
in order to meet the water demand
in the camp and the near residential
areas as well. However, there are
records about the flow rate or
well production.
When camps were first established,
water was distributed for all purposes
at a rate of 10 l/c/d to 20 l/c/d
(CEHA, 1991). Recently, it has
been reported that the monthly
consumption rate in the past years
was about 114500 m3 (Sanitation
Section, 1997), i.e., about 48
to 69 l/c/d. Although the consumption
rate per capita has been increased
within 50 years, it remained low
as compared to the average recommended
150 l/c/d.
In the mean time, the refugees
are suffering from water supply
shortage, particularly in the hot
summer season, due to several factors:
the most significant factor is
the intermittent supply from outside
sources due to frequent failures
and lack of maintenance; some wells
have been closed when dried out;
water pressure was not adequate,
so refugees have been using small
pumps to lift water from mains
into household cisterns.
The absence of responsibility
and planning, has resulted in a
confused, poor and incomplete water
distribution networks inside the
camp alleys; whereas some quarters
have access to water, others are
still deprived of any source. Major
parts of the old distribution network
were damaged during the Israeli
invasion of Lebanon in 1982, while
most of the damaged parts, or the
old corroded pipes were not replaced
or properly rehabilitated. Most
of the pipes were laid beside ditches
and sewerage lines without considering
the minimum engineering requirements
for pipe protection; this situation
allows for water contamination
and spread of diseases.
Laboratory investigations are
rarely conducted (Sanitation Section,
1997). It is worthy to note that
old pipes were exposed to contamination
through leakage, and the presence
of contamination, either because
of pipe corrosion or water quality,
will enhance the hazards of communicable
diseases. Water borne or water
related diseases are propagated
through water or due to lack of
adequate water supply or improper
waste disposal.
Sewerage Disposal
UNRWA started
its program with the provision
of temporary latrines, then replaced
by septic tank latrines with percolation
pits at the rate of 3 slabs per
100 persons (CEHA, 1991). In 1970's
most of the households in the camp
had their own septic tanks, or
VIP latrines and soakage pits,
with absence of a sewerage system.
The pits need to be evacuated by
special equipped trucks when filled;
however, these trucks are not easily
available. One of the disadvantages
of this system is that the flooded
pits would become a good environment
for insects and flies breeding,
and then a potential source of
water contamination and health
risks during the rainy season.
In the beginning of 1970's UNRWA
installed sewer lines in the major
streets of the camp and connected
them to the main municipal interceptor.
Other sewer lines were connected
to old lines (ø200mm) which
had been constructed in the 1940's,
and passed under houses (UNRWA,
1996). The existing sewerage system
is still working and serves about
20% of the population. Some parts
of the sewerage system were rehabilitated,
and many houses were connected
to the new lines constructed in
the alleys. It should be mentioned
that the new residential groupings
formed around the camp are still
deprived from infrastructure services
such as waste disposal or water
supply.
On the other hand, there is no
proper stormwater drainage system
in the camp; however, few open
ditches exist in some areas. In
rainy seasons the alleys and streets
are usually flooded and become
like swamps. The ditches, of total
length about 400m, were constructed
to dispose of stormwater into a
near wadi passing in the camp.
The ditches are being used to dispose
of used water and sullage, so they
remain a place for dumping rubbish
and garbage, as well as stagnant
water, pests, and bad odours. So
they become a source of potential
hazards that endanger the near
houses and public health particularly
when polluted water overflow to
houses.
Discussion and Analysis
UNRWA is
considered as the only international
organization that provides services,
although few, to the refugees.
The provided services include environmental
health, sanitation, water supply,
and solid waste disposal. Several
social, political, and historical
factors have been interrelated
in a complicated way that resulted
in the refugees hard living conditions.
Many serious problems played a
significant role in the deterioration
of general environmental conditions
and the spread of communicable
diseases among the refugees; these
problems include high population
density, shortage of safe water
supply in quantity and quality,
lack of proper infrastructure services,
and mismanagement of solid waste.
According to the general director
of UNRWA in Lebanon, the environmental
conditions in the refugee camps
in Lebanon are disastrous (As-safir,
1995).
The government's policy prevented
the expansion or the reconstruction
of the damaged camps. While UNRWA
has frozen its projects of improving
the public facilities, people were
forced to build in the alleys and
paths of the camp a very unhealthy
houses which did not conform with
the minimum living standards. These
buildings will have a significant
impact on the type of services
and infrastructures available,
such as water distribution and
sewage disposal. As previously
mentioned, the absence of proper
disposal system of surface drainage
and rain water, allows the refugees
to dispose of the used water and
sullage into the roads and alleys,
which causes ponding, and overflowing
of water into houses when it rains.
The narrow alleys have raised many
barriers before any attempt to
install water lines or sanitary
network in trenches due to difficulties
in excavating the roads between
houses. However, the poor living
and environmental conditions in
the camp (insufficient space, over-crowding,
sewage disposal, insufficient drinking
water) would be badly reflected
on other social and health aspects
of families, particularly children.
According to WHO Standards (WHO,
1971), water for human consumption
must be free from organisms and
from concentrations of chemical
substances that may be a hazard
to health. That means, water should
be of good quality, colourless,
odourless, tasteless, free of pathogens
and poisonous compounds. In fact,
Ein-El-Helweh camp suffers of water
shortage; many attempts have been
made to increase the quantity of
water allotted for the camp but
to no avail (Sanitation Section,
1997). This may indicate other
political reasons behind this policy.
The insufficient water supply and
low pressure have forced people
to draw water directly from mains
by using small pumps paying little
attention to health matters. This
practice associated with the badly
planned network resulted in frequent
contamination of water supplies
(UNRWA, 1996).
Numerous diseases are transmitted
through water or due to lack of
water, such as cholera, typhoid,
malaria, dysentery, hepatitis,
and other skin diseases. Sanitation
Section of UNRWA carried out laboratory
analysis on water samples from
camps; however, some reports have
shown the presence of polluted
samples, and were attributed to
the deteriorated condition of the
distribution network, associated
with frequent stopping of chlorinators
of water wells (UNRWA, 1996). In
fact, precise information is not
available about this aspect in
the camp, and if there is some
information, it remains in closed
circuits, so it will not make any
troubles for the official institutions.
However, some diseases which have
a direct relation to water contamination
were spread in some areas of Ein-El-Helweh
camp and other camps as well. According
to news reports from Borj Al-Shamali
camp (As-safir, 1995), about 500
people were infected by typhoid
and suffered from headache, diarrhea
and high temperature; several teams
had visited the camp and reported
that water supply was polluted
from sewage. In 1996, only 3 cases
of typhoid were reported in Ein-El-Helweh
camp and 1889 cases of diarrhea
among those older than 3 years
(UNRWA, 1997). Although cases of
hepatitis haven't been reported
in the camp recently, the number
was increased from 29 in 1975 to
160 cases in 1977 (Saudi, 1979).
The General Director of UNRWA
(1995), stated that the problems
related to improper solid waste
management, quantity and quality
of water supply as well as distribution
system conditions, have become
worse and more critical due to
the increasing population growth
in the refugee camps of Lebanon,
Gaza strip, and West Bank. Moreover,
Ein-El-Helweh camp has become a
model of poor environmental conditions,
overcrowding, and lack of open
spaces or green and planted areas.
In addition to water supply and
wastewater disposal problems, the
solid waste collection and disposal
is the most urgent, where the quantity
of solid waste produced daily in
the camp approaches 39 tons (Sanitation
Section, 1997). This problem will
result in worse problems mainly
in crowded areas due to the organic
nature of the waste, ugly scenes,
bad odours and smells, and the
presence of flies and rodents.
Solid waste is mainly produced
from daily consumptive activities,
and it includes food residues,
glass, carton, and metals, etc.
The high quantity which is produced
daily needs continuous collection
and disposal to prevent the transmission
of diseases. UNRWA (CEHA, 1991)
usually appointed 2.5 sanitation
labourers for each 1000 camp residents,
this means that Ein-El-Helweh camp
needs at least a number of 137
workers. In fact the number of
available workers in sanitation
department of Ein-El-Helweh camp
is 44, which is far below the required
number. It should be said that
the necessary trucks and other
equipment should be provided to
facilitate the accumulated solid
waste collection and disposal.
Finally, it should be said that
environmental conditions should
be improved in the refugee camps
in Lebanon by the help and cooperation
between local, regional and international
institutions to halt the camps
from being transformed into areas
of constant poverty and potential
source of environmental dangers. Conclusions
The
deteriorated environmental conditions
in the refugee camps in Lebanon
include problems related to improper
solid waste management, quantity
and quality of water supply,
distribution system conditions,
and high population density as
well.
The provision of safe and adequate
water supply as well as proper
waste disposal will reduce the
water-born diseases. The water
pipes which were laid before more
than 50 years, are exposed to contamination
from nearby ditches and sewers,
and they need replacement. Incidents
of water contamination were attributed
to the distribution system condition.
References :
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Epidemic Disease hits Borj Al-Shamali
Camp. Beirut.
2. As-safir, newspaper, 27/3/1995.
Report about UNRWA in Lebanon.
Beirut.
3. As-safir, newspaper, 27/12/1997.
Report on Ein-El-Helweh Camp. Beirut.
4. CEHA, 1991. Manual on Water
and Sanitation for Health in Refugee
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