In the remote town of Chebaa, south Lebanon, three hundred households have been struggling for months with their municipal water supply. The town’s main water source comes from a well, brought to the surface by an electric pump, powered by a generator, which needs diesel fuel to operate.
With Lebanon’s economy continuing its catastrophic freefall and the Lebanese pound losing its value on a daily basis, there is simply not enough money to buy diesel fuel. When the generator has no more fuel, the people of Chebaa have no water.
The solution was to use solar energy to power the water pump and UNIFIL’s Quick Impact Project (QIP) has done just that for Chebaa town. A solar power system, including 52 solar panels, was installed close to the water well to ensure that the community does not suffer from water cuts anymore.
The project was inaugurated on 23 August 2022 in the presence of General Olazábal, Commander of UNIFIL’s Sector East (SECEAST) and the Spanish Battalion (SPANBATT), Colonel Sujay Kumar, Contingent Commander of the Indian Battalion (INDBATT), Mr. Mohammad Ahmad Saab, Mayor of Chebaa, as well as other UNIFIL and Chebaa municipality representatives.
Mayor Saab thanked UNIFIL and INDBATT for their unwavering support to the city and their assistance in the implementation of this much needed project. General Olazábal highlighted UNIFIL's commitment to the development and well-being of south Lebanon’s communities, and praised the joint efforts of UNIFIL, civilians and peacekeepers, who hail from very different countries but work for the same cause.
Most importantly, the town of Chebaa and its community now have regular and uninterrupted access to water. They benefit from going green and so does the environment.