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Lebanon

Lebanon is a country of huge potential, but also one of divisions and discord. Since the end of the civil war in 1990, the people of the 18 confessions recognised in the country have lived relatively peacefully side by side, albeit not necessarily with each other. At the same time, Lebanon was long considered an important bridge between Europe and the Middle East. And even today, the capital Beirut enjoys an international reputation as an open and modern metropolis. Nonetheless, Lebanon faces extreme strains.

The busy Corniche Beirut. Photo: Arno Leisen — Lebanon and its capital Beirut are in the midst of a socio-economic crisis. Photo: Arno Leisen

For two years now, however, Lebanon has been in a state of extreme socio-economic crisis, and the Lebanese pound has lost 90 per cent of its value. According to the United Nations, nearly 80 per cent of Lebanese are now living in poverty, and about 40 per cent of the population is unemployed. Electricity is available for only a few hours a day, petrol is scarce and hospitals lack even standard medicines.

In August 2020, the country was hit by another stroke of fate – right in the middle of the Corona pandemic. A large explosion occurred in the port of Beirut, destroying the port, and damaging or making uninhabitable the homes and apartments of up to 300,000 people. The explosion also plunged the political system into a new crisis.

A country in crisis

View of a valley with temporary accommodation for refugees. — Makeshift refugee shelters are a characteristic feature of the fertile Beqaa Valley around Douris. Photo: Engagement Global

No other country has taken in more Syrian refugees in proportion to its population. Around 1.5 million people from Syria have sought refuge from the Syrian civil war in Lebanon. Lebanon itself, which is half the size of Hesse, has a population of just under six million people. Furthermore, there are some 500,000 Palestinian refugees living in the country. The country is increasingly unable to cope with these complex problems. Observers speak of a 'collective trauma', of 'dramatic hardship' and of an 'unimaginably corrupt political class'.

Municipalities are under pressure

A makeshift landfill. Refugee shelters can be seen in the background. — Visiting the landfill site in Minieh during a fact-finding mission in 2017. Photo: Engagement Global

The Lebanese municipalities are also clearly feeling the effects of this crisis, and in many places the municipal infrastructure is collapsing. The influx of Syrian refugees has led to a sharp increase in the number of inhabitants in many Lebanese municipalities – in some municipalities by up to 300 per cent. This has added to the enormous strain on municipal infrastructure, as municipalities must provide services such as electricity, water, and garbage collection to both the local population and the refugees. In this situation, the municipalities' lack of institutional capacities is particularly noticeable, for example in organisational, project and personnel management, financial planning, technical issues and database and knowledge management.

Opportunities for German-Lebanese municipal cooperation

Participants of a fact-fining mission are standing in a semicircle, listening to a man. — Participants of the fact-fining mission in 2017 seen here in conversation in Rachiine. Photo: Engagement Global

German municipalities possess a great deal of knowledge and experience in precisely those areas of public services in which Lebanese cities and municipalities have long been under pressure, and are now even more so due to the influx of Syrian refugees.

Against this backdrop, Lebanese municipalities have much to gain from project partnerships with German local government entities. Between 2018 and 2021 there were more than 20 such projects, and interest in municipal cooperation remains high.

Topics addressed by the projects include:

renewable energy
solid waste management
sanitation
social integration of refugees
inclusion of persons with disabilities
vocational training
youth work

Examples of cooperation

Drei Frauen Three men and three women smiling at the camera. Behind them, and in front of an overcast sky, we see fields and trees.drei Männer lächeln in die Kamera. Hinter ihnen sind vor einem wolkenverhangenen Himmel Wiesen und Bäume zu sehen.

Young people internationally networked, locally engaged

Markt Heimenkirch and Bwarej are jointly training youth leaders.

Two women and two men are standing in front of the entrance to the youth farm in Erlangen.

An adventure farm as an inclusive meeting place

Erlangen and Bkeftine establish a successful project of inclusive municipal development cooperation.

Complementing official development cooperation

These areas of cooperation closely match the priority areas of official German development cooperation with Lebanon, and in some projects federal and municipal development actors work closely together.

The priority areas of official German development cooperation are:

Basic education and vocational training
Employment promotion
Municipal infrastructure projects for public services in refugee host communities
Food and nutrition security
Crop farming promotion
Support and reconstruction of Palestinian refugee camps