Improving living conditions for vulnerable Syrian households in substandard buildings in Arsal, Lebanon

This independent evaluation examines the Norwegian Refugee Council’s programme to improve living conditions for vulnerable Syrian refugees in sub-standard buildings in Arsal, a Lebanese border town which stands out for its humanitarian needs and security challenges. This report focuses on the period between September 2015 and March 2016, during which 585 beneficiary households received emergency shelter and WASH upgrades. The evaluation’s purpose is to support programme learning around upgrading sub-standard buildings in Arsal that will provide guidance for future programme direction. To investigate the main evaluation question, “Does this intervention sufficiently contribute to meeting the shelter/WASH needs of Syrian refugees living in sub-standard buildings in Arsal?” this study combined a qualitative methods approach with a desk review of previous quantitative surveys. A total of 25 key informant interviews were conducted in order to gather the perspectives of a range of Arsal host community leaders, NRC staff and partners. 8 focus groups with a total of 58 participants were held with Syrian refugees and Lebanese landlords, including both those who had benefited from the NRC programme, and those who had not.