Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be here with you in Taraya village to witnes the opening and handover of the water reservoir which was financed through the Humanitarian Aid Program of the Czech Republic.

Over the last years, Lebanese people showed their generosity and humanity by opening their country to their neighbors from Syria that have been fleeing from a war and violence and seeking safe haven for themselves and their families.

This noble deed is however putting strain on the country's infrastructure. The electricity network as well as the water and sewage system was not ready for the additional million and half people. The financial and natural resources to address this shortage are limited and the lack of water burdens the host communities.

Lack of quality water has negative effect both on health and economic welfare of the people and impacts dramatically their quality of life. Water is key resource for agriculture that provides livelihood for many families in the region.

The Czech Republic values Lebanon's efforts to assist with the humanitarian crisis and highly appreciates the hospitality of Lebanon towards the Syrian refugees. We are aware of the difficulties the country and its people are facing due to their kindness.

The Czech Republic and Lebanon have strong ties. The relations between the two countries date back more than seventy years. It is a longstanding tradition for the Czech Republic to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of armed conflicts or natural disasters with the aim to improve their living condition and prevent health problems.

In order to support the Lebanese people through this refugee crisis, the Czech Republic has been funding projects that focus on addressing existing shortages caused by the humanitarian emergency.

It is one of the reasons why we gladly welcomed the project proposal of ADRA that focuses on assisting the affected community of Tarya with strengthening its water infrastructure. The municipality of Taraya has been dealing with water shortages due to the sudden growth of population as well as drought that affected the water supply.

We are here today to open a new water reservoir that is a result of this successful project. It will provide the population of Taraya with quality water throughout the year and especially during the dry season as it will be able to store water from wells.

The Czech Republic provided over 210 thousand dollars for the construction of the water reservoir and distribution of water tanks to vulnerable households. It is always a great moment for us to see that the finances were well spent thanks to result of hard work and cooperation between many actors across countries.

Our thanks go not only to ADRA Czech Republic and ADRA Lebanon, experienced project implementers in the WASH sector, but also to the Bekaa Water Establishment, Taraya Municipality, residents of Taraya and everybody else who played part in the joint effort. Without you this would not be possible.