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children displaced in lebanon 2024

Lebanon

Lebanon, a small country on the Mediterranean coast, is home to around 5.7 million people, but escalations in cross-border confrontations between Israel and Lebanon since October 2023 have left millions in need.

The Israeli invasion and indiscriminate airstrikes caused Lebanon’s worst humanitarian crisis in decades.

Thousands have been killed, tens of thousands wounded, and more than a million people – one fifth of the population – forced from their homes.

buildings reduced to rubble following israeli strikes in lebanon
Photo: More than 20,000 residential buildings have been badly damaged or completely destroyed in Lebanon.

Islamic Relief is on the ground helping tens of thousands of displaced people with vital aid such as food, hygiene kits, blankets and medical items. Find out more about our emergency response here.

Struggling families are unable to meet basic needs

Even before the escalations in 2023, the situation was dire. Many people in Lebanon – including increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers – are simply unable to meet their basic needs and rely on humanitarian aid for survival.

More than 3.7 million people in Lebanon were in need of humanitarian and/or financial assistance before the escalation, and many families are struggling to survive (International Organization for Migration, 2024).

people in lebanon walk with their belongings as they're faced with displacement
Photo: More than a million people are now displaced in Lebanon.

As of 11 December 2024, 201,820 people remain displaced due to the escalation.

What’s more, with millions of Lebanese people in need of financial assistance, resources are unable to meet all the required needs.

Man looking at the camera

The situation in Lebanon

Many people in Lebanon – including increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers – are simply unable to meet their basic needs and rely on humanitarian aid for survival.

3.7 million

people in need of humanitarian assistance. (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2024)

1.2 million

people have been displaced from their homes due to the recent escalations in Lebanon. (Islamic Relief UK, 2024)

2.5 million

people are in need of food assistance. (Food Security and Agriculture Sector, 2024)

47.8%

of youth of working age are unemployed. (The International Labor Organization, 2024)

44%

of the total population is now living below the poverty line. (World Bank, 2024)

Islamic Relief in Lebanon

Established in 2006, Islamic Relief Lebanon was a frontline responder during the devastating Lebanon War. We supported communities affected by conflict and displacement by providing essentials such as food, clean water, hygiene products, sleeping materials, and psychosocial support interventions.

Islamic Relief Lebanon was the first international aid agency to reach survivors of the Qana massacre, who had been without food or water for approximately 20 days. Our life-saving efforts were appreciated by Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Fuoad Siniora, who met with 1 of our founders, Dr Hany El-banna, in 2006.

an islamic relief male aid worker grabs boxes of food aid to be delivered to individuals affected by the emergency crisis
Image: Islamic Relief gather food packs to be distributed to families in need during the emergency crisis in Lebanon.

In 2023, we helped more than 196,000 people in Lebanon.

Our work includes projects that support refugees and local host communities, provide lifesaving medical operations and supplies to healthcare facilities, repair water networks and provide clean energy and solar power.

During the cold winter we provide poor families with fuel, food and blankets, and we also carry out annual Ramadan and Qurbani distributions.

Image: Vulnerable families in Lebanon receive a Ramadan food parcel provided by Islamic Relief.

Our Orphan Sponsorship Programme began in 2006 and has been an ongoing commitment to vulnerable children in Lebanon ever since.

Islamic Relief Lebanon has responded to numerous emergencies, among them the 2020 ‘Beirut blast’. We offered emergency shelter to individuals who lost their homes in the explosion and supplied 12 health facilities with fuel, medical equipment, supplies, and ready-to-eat food, enabling them to sustain medical aid for the affected.

Islamic Relief in action

We ramped up our emergency response once again, as the crisis between Israel and Hezbollah began escalating since 8 October 2023.

Our longer-term programming have had to be temporarily suspended due to the security situation, and we are currently focusing on scaling up our emergency response.

Since the start of the escalation we have provided vital aid to tens of thousands of displaced people in areas including Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Nabatieh, Tyre, Bekaa, and Baalbek. But more funds are urgently needed.

Find out more about our emergency response here.

Find out more about our lifesaving work in Lebanon

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