Is there a sight more beautiful than lush fields of green?

But fields need water and in Palestine, water is both the dilemma and the solution. The scarcity of water in the West Bank, particularly, has inspired us at ANERA to think creatively. Why not make use of a non-traditional source of water that just recently became available in Palestine—recycled wastewater?

By Lara Cooper

Editor’s note: The post below was originally published by American Near East Refugee Aid. ANERA serves Palestinian refugees and poor communities in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, and is a partner of Direct Relief. The post appeared on ANERA’s site on July 13, 2017.

Throughout the world, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under five. About one million babies die from preterm birth complications each year.

Gaza has long suffered from a severe electricity shortage, but this summer it has reached a breaking point. Now the residents of Gaza get only two to three hours of power per day, if they get any at all.

What does that mean?

** “When a door slams, the kids get scared,” said Qarrah. “They think it’s the sound of the airstrikes they used to hear back in Aleppo.”**

Only four months ago, 75-year-old Qarrah fled to Lebanon with her two daughters, Aziza and Fadilah, and 15 grandchildren. “My two daughters are widowed and we have no one to provide for us.”

Now Qarrah and her family live in two tents in Tal Abbas village. Theirs is among the 839 informal tented settlements housing Syrian refugees in Akkar, Lebanon.

In Nahr El Bared camp, a community-based recycling project is better for the environment and for scavengers like Ayman.

Ayman’s typical day starts at 6 A.M. With his wagon in hand, he heads to the waste dumping sites of Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp to search for recyclables. He can count on filling his wagon with recyclables by early afternoon. He’ll stop for a quick lunch with his wife and children, and then head out for a second round. By sunset, his day is done, and he’ll have found a treasure trove of recyclable trash.