Working with markets and the local government whilst responding to the WaSH needs of the Syrian crisis

The Syria crisis presents many challenges but more interestingly opportunities to respond differently than our usual WaSH response. Oxfam’s experiences both in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and Syria have enabled us to build relationships and alliances with key market actors to either provide water via a voucher based system, and or through direct operational activities with the local water authorities installing reverse osmosis systems, large scale generators, control panels and submersible pumps. This paper therefore provides an overview of these experiences in the hope of building and replicating this further across other agencies, and other middle income, and urban crises.