Lebanon emergency

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been effective as of 27 November 2024. Since the ceasefire, at least 578,600 people have been on the move: many displaced families are seeking to return to their communities, however, many are unable to return due to damage and destruction, as well as restrictions imposed by the Israeli army. 

Assessments have shown that reconstruction will be the biggest challenge moving forward, particularly as Lebanon was already struggling with an unprecedented financial and economic crisis before the conflict erupted. 

Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, with an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees and over 11,000 refugees of other nationalities. Of these, 55% are Iraqi, 19% are Sudanese and 13% are Ethiopian.

UNHCR teams are hard at work across Lebanon in the following ways:

• Supporting community groups and outreach volunteers, who shape programmes at a grassroots level.
• Delivering cash and in-kind assistance, so that families have enough to eat and the essentials they need to survive.
• Providing emergency shelter kits, repairing damaged buildings and improving living conditions in informal settlements.
• Subsidising hospital care and providing better access to vital medicines.
• Teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills to refugee children and helping older students to access higher education opportunities.
• Protecting and providing legal aid to the most vulnerable refugees, including women, children and survivors of gender-based violence.
• Facilitating activities that promote peacebuilding and social stability.

UNHCR has operated in Lebanon for many years and is committed to staying and delivering for as long as needed. Teams continue to work across Lebanon, alongside partner organisations, to coordinate the humanitarian response and meet the needs of refugees and conflict-affected people across the country.

Since 23 September, over 425,000 Lebanese and refugees affected are being assisted with some type of cash assistance as part of the emergency response, and over 522,400 individuals overall since October 2023. Additionally, over 485,000 core relief items such as mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets and solar lamps have been distributed to displaced people since October 2023.

As part of the response, UK for UNHCR’s winter appeal is raising vital funds to help displaced families, including refugees and internally displaced people in Lebanon, get through the winter months.

During the winter months, support to help families survive the bitterly cold weather, such as shelter assistance, is a top priority. This work is critical in helping displaced families stay warm and reduce the risk of hypothermia and respiratory infections, among other challenges.

For the latest updates on this and other crises that UK for UNHCR supports, follow our social media channels and sign up to our email updates.

For the latest UNHCR data relating to Syrian refugees and Lebanon, please visit the UNHCR Operational Data site here.