After the war in 2006 many lebanese in the south are suffering from poor housing conditions because of bombardment. A waterproofing project funded by the Norwegian government, helps improve their living conditions.
28/02/2008 :: The project Shelter Water Proofing Intervention concentrates on repairing and waterproofing the roof of over 300 houses in the most affected villages in the south of Lebanon.
Norwegian charge d'affaires Aud Lise Norheim went with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to Tyr, to see the results of the project. One of these villages is Siddiquine, which has been one of the main targets, because it suffered from extensive damages during the 2006 war. Many of the roofs were cracked because of shockwaves after bombardment.
Mrs. Norheim got to visit several of the inhabitants in Siddiquine who suffer from the damages after the war. One of them is an old woman who lives alone in a very basic house. She is one of the single, elderly people who are receiving help through the project. The woman's son lives next door with his family, and they share the same roof which has been waterproofed.
The single elderly are the ones who often need help the most, but also the big families are in need of aid. In order to find out who are the most vulnerable households, the NRC does an extensive analysis of their situation.
The waterproofing not only improves the conditions of the house, but also the inhabitant's health. When the water leaks from the roof into the walls, this causes humidity and an unhealthy climate inside the house. It may result in diseases like asthma.
Mrs. Norheim also got to meet Mrs. Balhas, who lives in an area where most of the buildings were shattered during the bombing. Mrs. Balhas shares a house with her family, including her sister who is very ill from cancer. All of the familymembers are unemployed. Their house was one of the few which were only partially damaged during the war, and the family received help to repair the roof through the project.
The Norwegian government is the sole funder of over USD 1.38 million, and the project is NRC's fourth shelter intervention in Southern Lebanon following the 2006 war.
By the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beirut