Local Problems, Local Expertise How can informal settlements become a core element in reconstruction efforts in Syria and Lebanon?
PROBLEM A large proportion of Syria’s population lives in informal housing, representing an estimated 30 to 40 percent of total dwellings prior to the 2011 uprising. Moreover, housing insecurity is experienced by displaced Syrians in Lebanon, which has witnessed a huge influx of Syrians fleeing the civil war. Despite its prevalence, informal housing and the rights of the populations living in such housing have not received sufficient attention in recent policy discussions around Syria’s reconstruction efforts or with respect to protecting the rights of Syrians to housing. Meanwhile, Syrian displaced individuals and communities living in informal housing in Lebanon are working to secure access to essential services like water, food, and electricity. Ideally, access to such services should be seen as indissolubly linked to the rights of citizens — but in practice, the distribution of such goods in Lebanon is not equal. Access to goods and services by displaced populations in Lebanon is further complicated by the nature of the country’s political economy, where Syrian refugees are often only able to acquire and secure their rights through informal networks.
18 | FALL 2023
