Acted has been operating in Lebanon since 2006, with an office in Beirut. Acted works closely with local authorities and civil society stakeholders implementing priority humanitarian interventions and longer-term development programming, strengthening multi-stakeholder governance and accountability, public service upgrades, citizen participation, and increasing economic opportunities.
Lebanon has endured a multifaceted crisis for nearly three years, causing its GDP per capita to plummet by 36.5% between 2019 and 2021[1]. In the intervening period, the situation has not improved. In 2023, an estimated 3.9 million people require assistance including 2.1 million Lebanese, 1.5 million Syrians, 81,500 migrants, and 211,400 Palestinian refugees. [2]
Acted has been on the ground supporting local, refugee, and migrant populations by implementing humanitarian and development programs with a focus on livelihood, localization, WASH, governance, and social inclusion.
Since 2006, Acted has supported local, refugee, and migrant populations on the ground, blending emergency relief with long-term development aid, prioritizing localization and social inclusion.
Acted centers its WASH, livelihood, basic assistance, and governance programmes on vulnerable and marginalized communities, empowering these groups, including women, to drive change within their communities.
#ZEROPoverty
Prior to the economic downturn and the pandemic, Lebanon ranked 132nd out of 158 nations in terms of gender equality. In a 3-year project supported by UN Women, Acted assisted four national organizations in setting up production lines for menstrual hygiene pads across four locations in Lebanon: Beirut, Tripoli, Saida, and Zahle. These facilities, operated by women through cash-for-work programming, provide safe, affordable, and sanitary pad options to community members. The project engaged 450 vulnerable women in cash-for-work opportunities in both production and sales, creating valuable economic opportunities and effectively breaking the cycle of financial dependence while enhancing their financial empowerment.
#ZEROExclusion
Acted is currently implementing an EU-funded project in Lebanon which aims to improve equal access to water and wastewater services to all people in Lebanon, through working with water authorities to improve key infrastructure in neglected areas across the country. The project also supports the inclusion of all voices on water and integrated resources management issues by supporting civil society, academia, entrepreneurs and local stakeholders through grants, building spaces for dialogue and knowledge sharing.
#ZEROCarbon
Like many regions in Lebanon, the Al Ostuan River Basin in the Akkar region suffers from water mismanagement issues due to overuse of the surface water, challenges in the accountability and governance of the service provision as well as lack of public awareness. Acted’s Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) initiative in Akkar, funded by UNDP, focused on enhancing the water conservation landscape for disadvantaged communities. This was possiblethrough effectively capturing and re-using a cost-less water source during winter: rainwater. RWH systems were installed by vulnerable community members through cash for work in 12 greenhouses and 24 schools, while water-saving devices were fitted in 7000 households and water audits conducted at the household level.
[1] OCHA and REACH, 2022 MSNA Bulletin (Lebanon, November 2022), 2
https://repository.impact-initiatives.org/document/reach/9c328585/REACH_LEB_Brief_LBN2201.pdf
[2] United Nations, Escalating Needs in Lebanon | A 2023 Overview in Lebanon, 25
https://lebanon.un.org/en/230726-escalating-needs-lebanon-2023-overview.