Lebanon
The Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) 2025 remains the unified planning and coordination framework in the country and is co-led with the Government. The LRP covers immediate and medium-term needs across all vulnerable population groups, including Lebanese, refugees and migrants, including through support to Lebanese institutions and public services amid the multi-faceted crisis. The Lebanon Flash Appeal is fully complementary to, and supportive of, the LRP. It enables partners to rapidly deliver principled and effective life-saving assistance and protection to one million Lebanese, Syrians, Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria, and migrants. In the GHO, the 3RP Lebanon Chapter and the Lebanon Flash Appeal constitute the total requirements for Lebanon.
Crisis overview
Lebanon is grappling with its most severe crisis since the 2006 Lebanon War. Escalating violence has caused significant casualties, displacement, and widespread infrastructure damage. Needs assessment, analysis and response planning for 2025 are currently underway. The People in Need (PiN), target population and financial requirements outlined in the GHO are provisional, based on the three-month Flash Appeal launched in October 2024 and the 2024 Lebanon Response Plan/3RP Lebanon chapter.
The $425.7 million Flash Appeal, coordinated by the humanitarian community and the Lebanese Government, aims to provide life-saving assistance to one million people. It complements the pre-existing Lebanon Response Plan (LRP), an integrated humanitarian and stabilization response plan co-led by the UN and the Government of Lebanon, and targets crisis-affected Lebanese, displaced Syrians, Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria, and migrants.
As of 25 November 2024, the conflict has killed nearly 3,700 people and injured close to 15,700 according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. At least 1.3 million people have been displaced, surpassing 2006 figures. This includes nearly 900,000 people displaced internally (52 per cent female and 48 per cent male), according to IOM--with 190,000 of them residing in over 1,100 collective shelters--and more than 460,000 people who have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since 23 September, 2024, according to UNHCR, while others fleeing by air or to other neighbouring countries.
Essential infrastructure, including hospitals, water facilities and schools has been damaged or destroyed, disrupting access to vital services. Many schools now serve as shelters, disrupting the education system. With nearly 90 per cent of Lebanon’s population living in densely populated urban areas, mass casualties in urban areas are a grave concern. Older adults, people with disabilities, and others who are unable to flee are at increased risk, especially in areas subjected to frequent bombardment.
Zaita, Lebanon
Smoke billows from a site targeted by shelling in southern Lebanon.
UNICEF/Dar Al MussawirConflict has compounded existing vulnerabilities from years of social, economic and displacement crises, leading to rising needs and further erosion of basic services and stability across Lebanon. Local authorities are stretched to their limits, heightening the risk of escalating tensions.
Lebanon’s economic crisis has drastically deteriorated, with the country’s GDP plummeting from $54.9 billion in 2018 to $17.94 billion in 2023. Soaring prices and decreased incomes have severely eroded purchasing power, leaving many unable to afford basic necessities. Even before the recent escalation of hostilities, food insecurity was worsening, with the Integrated Food Insecurity Phase Classification (IPC) analysis projecting an increase in the number of people who are food insecure, from 19 per cent of the population in March 2024 to 23 per cent by September. Displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees face particularly acute levels of poverty and food insecurity.
Lebanon hosts approximately 1.5 million displaced Syrians, 180,000 Palestine refugees, 23,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria, and over 11,200 refugees from other countries. Many live in precarious conditions. In 2024, only 20 per cent of displaced Syrians held legal residency, with many living in informal settlements or overcrowded shelters. Reports indicate Syrians and migrants displaced within Lebanon struggle to find safe housing. About 45 per cent of Palestine refugees reside in Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps, often in unsafe and dilapidated housing. As of March 2023, 80 per cent of Palestinian refugees lived below the national poverty line. Migrants have been particularly hard-hit, frequently facing exploitation, poor living conditions and limited access to adequate social services.
Mazraat Mchref, Lebanon
At the Mazraat Mchref municipality building, the medical team prepares to provide healthcare services to populations affected by the clashes in South Lebanon.
AMELResponse priorities in 2025
The convergence of escalating conflict, a protracted economic and governance crisis, and the ongoing impacts of the Syria crisis has pushed Lebanon to a breaking point. Humanitarian organizations are working urgently to address the immediate needs of affected people and sustain essential public services, but the challenges are immense, and the situation continues to deteriorate. Without substantial international support, the outlook for Lebanon remains dire, with vulnerable populations at increasing risk.
The Flash Appeal for Lebanon launched on 1 October 2024 complements and supports the 2024 Lebanon Response Plan (LRP), which remains the unified framework for addressing the country's humanitarian and stabilization needs. The LRP aims to provide both immediate and medium-term assistance to vulnerable populations while supporting Lebanon’s strained institutions and public services. As the country chapter of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), the LRP responds to the cumulative effects of Lebanon’s multiple crises.
Beirut, Lebanon
Escalating hostilities forced many families to flee their homes in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, seeking shelter in public schools and universities. The UNICEF team is on the ground distributing emergency supplies, including mattresses, blankets, water, hygiene kits, and dignity kits.
UNICEF/Fouad ChoufanyLRP partners’ interventions focus on four strategic objectives:
- Provide immediate assistance to vulnerable people to meet critical needs.
- Enhance the protection of vulnerable groups.
- Support public service delivery through national systems, including rapid response capacity.
- Support Lebanon’s economic, social and environmental stability.
The LRP also prioritizes protection and gender equality. For 2024, it sought $2.72 billion in funding but had only received 36 per cent by the end of September. Securing adequate funding for both the LRP and the Flash Appeal is critical to addressing Lebanon’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Flash Appeal focuses on the immediate, life-saving response, with three key strategic objectives:
- Deliver timely multi-sectoral assistance to people affected by the escalation of hostilities.
- Promote the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure—grounded in international humanitarian and human rights law, norms and standards—and place communities at the centre of the response.
- Support the rapid delivery and resumption of essential services in areas affected by the escalation in hostilities.
The Government of Lebanon leads the response, with support from the UN and humanitarian partners. Coordination is managed through the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and sectors/clusters. UN and NGO partners are distributing food, water and essential supplies, including mattresses, hygiene kits, blankets, and sleeping bags, to households and collective shelters. Meals, bread, and dignity kits are also being provided, along with emergency nutrition rations, micronutrient supplements, and malnutrition screenings for children and pregnant or lactating women.
Support for children includes recreational kits, early childhood development activities, and emergency health kits. Technical site assessments are underway to identify repairs to damaged infrastructure.
Local humanitarian leadership: A lifeline in Lebanon
The Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) plays a crucial role in empowering local initiatives and fostering community solidarity to sustain response efforts. In 2024, an additional $12 million LHF reserve allocation focused on localization, contributing to strengthened local leadership of Lebanon’s humanitarian response.
On 16 October 2024, 32 families displaced from Nabatieh arrived in Beirut after a gruelling 13-hour journey. Airstrikes had reduced their hometown to ruins, and they were forced to flee. Exhausted and traumatized, they found a safe place to rest, warm blankets, and some essential items thanks to the swift response of humanitarian organizations.
“It was late, and we were already stretched thin, but we could not ignore the immediate need for food,” explained Dima Zayat, Deputy Country Director at Anera Lebanon. Ready-to-eat parcels, had been rerouted from Nabatieh due to the escalating violence in the south and were quickly distributed. Now, the very aid intended for these families in their hometown was delivered to them in their place of refuge.
The Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) enabled partners like Anera to respond swiftly to provide vital aid. This rapid mobilization brought a sense of security and dignity to families who had lost so much. In 2024, the LHF allocated $36 million to meet the critical needs of vulnerable people in Lebanon. Of this amount, $10 million was disbursed in August to scale up the emergency response to growing needs caused by hostilities in South Lebanon, and an additional $12 million was allocated in October to enhance emergency efforts across the country. In an increasingly dire environment, the mobilization of local humanitarian partners, supported by LHF, continues to be a vital lifeline for displaced families in need of safety and compassion.
Financial requirements
The financial requirements for the emergency response for the first three months of 2025 is $425.7 million, based on the 2024 three-month Flash Appeal. Assessment, analysis and planning are currently underway for 2025 for Lebanon, given the highly fluid situation. The financial requirements for 2025 presented in the GHO represent the projected Flash Appeal requirements for the first months ($425.7 million) and the 3RP/Lebanon component of $2.8B, with $3.2B total funding required.
Lebanon
2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
Response highlights for the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) (as of September 2024)
Health
Over 1.6 million primary healthcare consultations were provided to vulnerable Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and migrants through 150 primary healthcare centers within the Ministry of Public
Health network.
Food
1.5 million received regular cash for food assistance by September 2024, to ensure that the most vulnerable people in Lebanon are able to reduce their food gaps, and diversify food intake.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
61 municipalities were able to ensure access to water, ensure essential maintenance work as well as solid waste management through institutional support in the delivery of basic services.
Response highlights for the 5 weeks following the launch of the Flash Appeal (as of 07 November)
Health
The ongoing conflict has heavily impacted Lebanon's healthcare system, with 103 attacks on health facilities, resulting in the deaths of 142 health workers and the closure of 53 primary healthcare centres and eight hospitals. Despite these challenges, humanitarian organizations have provided more than 107,700 health consultations and distributed essential medications to over 76,300 patients, including sexual and reproductive health services to over 10,400 individuals.
Relief items
Over 453,900 relief items, such as mattresses, blankets, and sleeping mats, have been distributed to displaced families in various regions. Repair work has been completed at 71 collective shelters, with ongoing assessments and repairs in others. A significant challenge remains in ensuring the safety and adequacy of shelters, particularly with the approaching winter.
Food
Some 4.9 million meals have been provided to displaced individuals across Lebanon. 223,000 displaced individuals received ready-to-eat kits, 142,000 received food parcels, and over 245,000 bread packs were distributed.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Displaced individuals in 991 collective shelters received 1.5 million litres of bottled water and nearly 82,000 hygiene kits. WASH infrastructure has been upgraded in 81 collective shelters, including the installation of emergency toilets, showers, and water storage facilities. At least 34 water infrastructures have been damaged due to hostilities, impacting the water supply for over 402,000 residents.
Protection
48,500 displaced individuals received legal, child protection, and gender-based violence (GBV) services. 24,193 children and caregivers received psychosocial support, and 2,694 recreational kits were distributed to enhance children's well-being.
Consequences of inaction for the 5 weeks following the launch of the Flash Appeal (as of 25 November)
Funding
As of 25 November 2024, only 60 per cent of the $425.7 million Flash Appeal had been funded (Lebanon Aid Tracking), severely limiting the ability to meet growing needs across all sectors. While nearly half those targeted have received at least one form of assistance, wide-spread gaps remain unaddressed.
Shelter
With 90 per cent of collective shelters at full capacity, there is a critical shortage of adequate shelter for displaced individuals. Many families are living in abandoned buildings, rented spaces, or open areas, often without basic non-food items like kitchen sets. High turnover in shelters further complicates efforts to fully equip them. With winter approaching, urgent inter-sectoral efforts are needed to relocate IDPs in self-settled sites and ensure access to safe shelters and essential services to protect against harsh weather.
Food
While 80 per cent of displaced people in shelters have received some form of assistance, significant gaps remain in providing hot meals and food parcels, particularly in remote areas. Those living outside shelters are also in need of support.
Education
At least 60 per cent of public schools are being used as shelters, delaying their reopening. There is an urgent need to identify alternative learning spaces, strengthen remote learning platforms, and secure funding for emergency education. This is critical to facilitate children’s return to school and provide psychosocial support for displaced students.
Health
Access to essential healthcare services is severely limited, particularly in conflict-affected areas like Baalbek. A confirmed cholera case in Akkar, combined with damaged water infrastructure, increases the risk of disease outbreaks in overcrowded shelters.
Protection
Many shelters lack static and mobile safe spaces for women, girls, and children, leaving them without privacy, adequate protection or psychosocial support. Analysis for the third quarter of 2024 reveals a rise in GBV incidents in "schools," suggesting an increase in GBV within collective shelters, as 70 per cent of them are schools.
Humanitarian worker
The displacement of humanitarian workers due to ongoing hostilities has created a shortage of personnel, hampering the delivery of protection services, particularly in high-risk areas.