Lebanese construction site. PCPM is helping in Akkar

Firefighters in Lebanon – daily seFirefighters in Lebanon save lives everyday, often without specialized equipment or facilities. That’s precisely why the new fire station in Akkar is the next step to enhancing safety in work environment and more effective help for local communities. It is one of many investments PCPM has undertaken in 2025 in Lebanon.rvice in difficult conditions.

Firefighters in Lebanon – daily service in difficult conditions

Firefighters in Lebanon save lives every day, often working in very challenging conditions. Outside the largest cities, the Lebanese Civil Defense plays a key role, struggling for years with limited financial resources, outdated equipment, and insufficient technical facilities.

Many firefighters in Lebanon are volunteers who, despite low salaries and lack of basic protective equipment, respond to fires, road accidents, and other emergencies. Problems with access to fuel, electricity, or water further hinder effective rescue operations. Every intervention therefore involves a real risk to their health and life.

The Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) has supported Lebanese firefighters for years, aiming to improve their safety and working conditions—through equipping units, improving infrastructure, and investing in independent energy sources.

Modern fire station in Akkar

In the Akkar region, the long-awaited construction of a modern fire station has begun. This investment will significantly improve the daily work of local firefighters and impact the safety of thousands of residents.

The new fire station will provide firefighters with proper working conditions: a safe place to store and maintain equipment, sanitary facilities, and space to rest and prepare for interventions. This will allow responders to react faster to threats and provide more effective help to those in need.

“Obtaining all the necessary permits took a long time, but now the work is in full swing. The building should be ready by January 2026,” says Elie Keldany from PCPM, who is personally supervising the project on site.

Building the fire station is not only an investment in infrastructure but, above all, in people—firefighters who risk their lives every day to save others.

“The new fire station will be much larger, modern, and accommodate all firefighters. A proper storage space will also be added,” says Eliette Abboud from PCPM’s Akkar office. She adds, “We had long been asked to fund a new unit. The previous one was in very poor condition. We are very happy that, thanks to the Poland Aid program, we were finally able to fulfill this wish.”

Long-term support

The Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) has been assisting the Akkar region in northern Lebanon continuously since 2012. This area is particularly affected by the consequences of the Syrian conflict and the ongoing economic crisis that has plagued Lebanon for years.

Akkar has become a refuge both for numerous Syrian refugees and Lebanese families struggling with difficult living conditions.

When the Polish organization began its engagement in this region, its activities focused on responding to the refugee wave caused by the Syrian civil war. Over time, however, the events that started in 2011 triggered a series of subsequent crises in Lebanon, gradually leading to a deep economic collapse.

For many years, PCPM has been developing irrigation systems, building channels to bring water from mountain sources to agricultural lands. Importantly, this water is free, and the only condition for its use is an agreement among farmers in the community regarding the irrigation schedule. The system is simple: using gravity, water flows through channels to lower villages, where its flow is stopped by a metal barrier at specific fields, allowing water to be directed directly to crops.

Water infrastructure, however, is not the only area of the foundation’s engagement in this region. One of the key projects was the modernization of the local wastewater treatment plant. This included replacing worn-out equipment and, most importantly, installing photovoltaic panels, which ensured its operation even during power outages.

The Akkar region was also hit by a major natural disaster in the form of a fire that destroyed large forest areas along the main road connecting Kobayat with Hermel.

“The fire spread at an incredible speed. It’s a miracle that no one lost their life. After the forest was destroyed, rainwater had nowhere to flow and began washing away the road, eventually causing it to break,” recalls Elie Keldany.

This is a key transport artery for this part of the region, so its reconstruction was a top priority for local authorities. However, due to insufficient financial resources, they turned to PCPM for help.

“This road connects Hermel with Baalbek. When the war broke out in 2024, many internal refugees were fleeing along this route,” recalls Jean Claude Semaan. “In 2024, road works were ongoing, but we organized them so that the road remained passable,” he adds.

PCPM not only renewed the road but also installed all accompanying infrastructure: safety barriers, solar lamps, and appropriate signage. The most important part is drainage, which protects the road from erosion.

Thanks to the long-term engagement of PCPM and cooperation with local partners, it is possible to implement lasting changes that genuinely improve the safety and quality of life of Akkar residents.

Most infrastructure work in Lebanon is carried out by PCPM thanks to funding from the Poland Aid program of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organization can also be supported through donations, which allow helping even more Lebanese people.

Project of PCPM Foundation is co-financed within the framework of the Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. The publication expresses exclusively the views of the author and cannot be identified with the official stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.