What is happening in Lebanon?

Since a deadly escalation of conflict in Lebanon began in September, the Government estimates that more than one million people have been forced to flee their homes.

The attacks are the most intense since 2006, with Israeli airstrikes hitting dozens of places across the country, including South Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more wounded. The streets of Beirut are filled with families trying to find safe shelter.

Ali Trad, a Lebanese man from the southern district of Tyre, was helping his neighbour pack up to leave when an air raid started. He picked up his grandson and fled, leaving all his belongings behind. It took them 18 hours to reach Beirut – a journey that would normally take an hour-and-a-half by car. Along the way, Ali witnessed scenes of suffering, including people searching for lost children. “It was very, very difficult… it was indescribable,” he said.

After a harrowing journey, Ali and his grandson found safety in a shelter for displaced people in Lebanon.

“All the concern and fear I have is over his safety,” he added, gesturing to the boy in his arms. “Thank God we were able to flee.”

The hostilities come on top of a series of crises that have hit Lebanon in recent years, including the Beirut port blast in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and a prolonged economic crisis that has pushed 44 per cent of the population into poverty. Lebanon is also home to around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, many of whom are now being forced to flee again.

Hameeda Al Mohammad came to Lebanon from Syria a decade ago, but the recent airstrikes have uprooted her once again. She and her three daughters sought refuge in Beirut and spent their first night in the city sleeping outdoors after being turned away from overcrowded shelters.

“Whenever we asked about schools or a place to stay, we were told it was not possible, until we reached this school where they said they have the space for me and my kids,” said Hameeda. “I did not pack anything, just the clothes me and the children are wearing.”

“It reminds me a lot of the war in Syria,” she added. “We lived that period with difficulty, and now it is even harder.”

Where are people fleeing to? 

As the situation in Lebanon worsens, more people are being displaced daily. Families are fleeing to Beirut to escape the bombings, seeking safety with relatives or in temporary shelters such as schools.

The crisis continues to spill into Syria. The situation at the border is chaotic, with vehicles backed up in queues and large crowds of people waiting in line to be processed. At least 130,000 people are estimated to have crossed into Syria since 23 September – about 60 per cent of them Syrians and the rest Lebanese and other nationalities.

When the attacks intensified, Wahiba left her home in southern Beirut with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson. They spent three days waiting at the border and sleeping outside before they crossed back into the country they had fled years before.

“I cried when I left the house. I cried for us, and I cry for the situation we’ve ended up in,” she said. “We left our country because of the war, in search of safety, but there is no safety.”

What is UNHCR doing to help?

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is present at four border crossing points, along with local authorities and the Syrian Red Crescent, providing food, water, blankets and mattresses to new arrivals.

Inside Lebanon, the agency is supporting the Lebanese government's response efforts by distributing emergency items, such as blankets and mattresses, providing legal and social protection services, and conducting shelter improvements. UNHCR has also been supporting those displaced with cash assistance.

But as the situation in Lebanon deteriorates, people urgently need more aid, including shelter, emergency supplies, health care and cash assistance.

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