For many women and children in encampment for Palestinians in Lebanon and others fleeing the violence in Syria， essential personal hygiene products are difficult to come by and considered a luxury.

A UNDP and UNHABITAT programme is hoping to change that however. After conducting a rapid assessment of water and sanitation needs in Palestinian gatherings， UNDP has begun distributing “family kits，” to help people meet their daily needs and prevent illness or the outbreak of diseases in the often overcrowded camps， such as diarrhea and head lice.

UNDP and UNHABITAT， are in the process of increasing the distribution of the hygiene kits to more than 3，800 families across Lebanon. With the support of their local partner Popular Aid for Relief and Development， the focus has been on the most crowded and vulnerable of the 42 Palestinian gatherings， which have now swelled to a total population of 135，000 due to an addition of 35，000 refugees pouring in from Syria.

A Palestinian refugee from Syria and mother of two children， Rim investigates the contents of a large， blue pail with the UNDP logo on the side. “These simple items can be lifesaving，” she says， pulling out a flashlight， band-aids， a heard scarf， underwear and other items for personal hygiene.