Lebanon emergency

APRIL 13, 2026    

At the Kaser Al Adel reception center in Sidon, Lebanon’s third-largest city, a mattress lies directly on the floor in a dimly lit room where natural light barely filters in. The sky-blue walls are peeling, and belongings are piled up in every corner. These are the few possessions Alyah Mohammed Saleh and her family managed to bring with them. Warned of impending airstrikes, they were forced to urgently flee their apartment in Tefahta, about twenty kilometers away. “The journey here was very long because of traffic jams, we spent seven hours on the road,” says the young woman, wrapped in a fleece sweater.

Like this family, more than 1.3 million people in Lebanon have now been displaced by the war. Those who fled their homes have taken shelter with relatives or in one of 682 collective accommodation centers, which are hosting nearly 140,000 people as of early April. 

In the middle of the room, a sheet stretched across serves as a partition, offering minimal privacy. Alyah shares the space with her husband, their two children, her parents, her sister, her brother, and their respective families. “Access to water and toilets is difficult. There are only two bathrooms, so they quickly become overcrowded and we have to wait in long lines,” she explains. 

“We are not used to living in such conditions,” confirms 71-year-old Hussein Naiim, who is staying in another collective shelter in the city. “People are helping us, of course, but it’s far from normal,” he adds. Behind him, rows of clotheslines bear witness to the recent influx of displaced people. The white-haired man admits he has “only one dream”: to return home, some sixty kilometers further south. But for now, that is impossible, it is too dangerous. “There is no one left there.” 

The same story is echoed by the Bdeir family. Hiba, her brother, and their parents, all from southern Lebanon, have been staying for over a month at the Al Afak Institute. The 25-year-old works as a web designer, but surrounded by 400 people, concentration is difficult. “There is constant noise, and electricity or internet cuts happen frequently. I’m used to working remotely, but in these conditions it’s hard,” she says. 

To improve the precarious living conditions of displaced people, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is assessing the needs in collective shelters and carrying out rehabilitation work. Since early March, six centers have been renovated, and work is ongoing in ten others. At the Al Afak Institute, which hosts around one hundred families, teams have repaired showers, taps, toilets, and doors. “We have also installed a solar water heating system,” says Hassan El Sayed, the NGO’s field coordinator. 

In these shelters, teams also distribute essential items: 2,352 displaced people have received mattresses, pillows, blankets, solar lamps, and jerrycans; 541 family hygiene kits, as well as specific kits containing sanitary products and baby supplies, have been distributed; and 398 households in 18 centers without kitchen access have received ready-to-eat meals for two weeks.

APRIL 10, 2026    

“If there were any people left who weren’t traumatized, they certainly are now,” laments Hassan El Sayed, field coordinator for SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL in Saïda.

On Thursday, April 9, Lebanon woke up in shock. The day before, massive airstrikes had rained down on several regions of the country. “About a hundred strikes in ten minutes—unprecedented,” Hassan describes. “Areas previously considered safe, such as downtown Saida, Beirut, or the Chouf, were hit with intense force. Entire buildings were leveled, and all without warning.” More than 300 people, including 33 children, according to UNICEF, lost their lives, and another 1,500 were injured. As of now, victims remain buried under the rubble.

Full of hope of returning to their homes, thousands of Lebanese who had set out for the south after the announcement of a ceasefire on Tuesday night, found themselves trapped by Israeli bombardments. “It’s a double trauma, extreme stress,” notes the field coordinator. “We are the polar opposite of the hoped-for calm; the humanitarian impact has been multiplied.” In addition to the heavy human toll of the attacks, many civilians, already worn down by more than a month of war, are being forced to move, once again, to collective shelters or to stay with relatives.

On the Litani River, the bombings have damaged the last bridge connecting the south of the country—and in particular the coastal city of Tyre—further isolating residents of this area near the front line. Yesterday, the Lebanese Civil Defense managed to clear part of the infrastructure, but traffic remains virtually impossible there, and if the situation persists, humanitarian needs could rapidly worsen.

Despite the psychological impact of the attacks on our Lebanese colleagues—who have themselves been displaced with their families, some to bombed areas—SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL teams were on the ground as early as Thursday morning to distribute hygiene and cleaning kits at collective shelters in Saida. “It’s true that we’re much more afraid, but we have this sense of humanitarian determination that drives people to go above and beyond,” Hassan emphasizes. Assessment after assessment, the teams determine “when to go and which route to take” in order to deliver aid to the hardest-to-reach areas

In this context of urgency and uncertainty, everyone now hopes “that the Lebanese people will not be forgotten in international arrangements.”

APRIL 3, 2026    

On March 26, a convoy organised by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL successfully reached the Nabatieh area in the south of the country. Our teams distributed food parcels in the towns of Deir Zahrani, Jebchit, Ebba, and Ansar to 1,127 vulnerable families, including single-parent households and those with young children or disabled family members.  

Southern Lebanon has been particularly affected by evacuation orders since the beginning of the month, with more than a million people now displaced within the country. Recently, the governorate of Tyre has been affected by this forced exile, triggering new population movements.   

Bombings in this area have targeted strategic infrastructure, including gas stations, major highways, and, most recently, the Qasmiyeh bridge.  

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL teams visited 18 emergency shelters without kitchens and distributed food parcels and ready-to-eat meals to 398 displaced people, providing enough food to meet the needs of a family of five for two weeks. At the same time, the NGO assessed the services of 24 centers and carried out the rehabilitation of latrines and showers, connected the buildings to water networks, and installed partitions in four of them. Work on the other centers is scheduled for the coming days. 

In total, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL’s recent aid has benefited 2,369 households and 12,402 people.   

March 24, 2026   

Over the past few days, evacuation orders have increased in villages situated south of the Litani and Zahrani rivers, and in many areas of the southern suburbs of Beirut. Over one million Lebanese men and women are now in exile, fleeing mainly to the north of the country, the capital, Mount Lebanon, or the Bekaa Valley. While some are welcomed by relatives and others are sleeping in their cars or tents, a total of 132,742 people have sought shelter in one of the 622 emergency centers. 

These overcrowded shelters are struggling to meet the growing needs of the population. To ensure healthy and dignified living conditions, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL conducted an assessment of access to water, hygiene and sanitation facilities in 16 of these shelters. After identifying several issues, our teams have initiated the rehabilitation of the latrines and showers, the construction of water tanks, and the strengthening of the buildings’ waterproofing.

Food distributions were provided to 398 families and 1,240 people received mattresses, blankets, pillows, and solar lamps. To help reduce health risks, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL also distributed 462 hygiene kits to cover the needs of a family of five for one month, as well as 312 menstrual hygiene kits and 191 baby care kits. 

Families stuck under bombs in hard-to-reach areas

In the particularly hard-to-each areas surrounding Nabatieh, which are regularly bombed and where forced displacement orders limit the presence of humanitarian workers, the mission organised a convoy to distribute food supplies to 500 families who were unable to travel, often elderly people, single women, people with disabilities, or families lacking the necessary resources. 

Indeed, while humanitarian efforts are currently focused on assisting displaced populations in emergency shelters – whose needs are enormous -, vulnerable people who are unable to move remain in areas affected by hostilities. Now that essential stores are closed, they depend on humanitarian aid, which is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver due to the devastating conflict. 

A total of 1.3 million people in Lebanon are currently in need of humanitarian aid. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has recently assisted 6,992 people and is redoubling its efforts to reach more every day. 

March 17, 2026   

The silence occasionally broken by the distant sound of drones, shuttered shops and deserted streets. This appears to be all that remains of Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon, two weeks after the start of the Israeli bombardment. 

A few days ago, the south of the country saw massive population movements, punctuated by evacuation orders and the sound of cars fleeing northwards. Today, however, the streets are eerily quiet. People have either fled or locked themselves in their homes in search of security. Those who are forced to stay at home are often the most vulnerable: the elderly, isolated women and families who are unable to leave. 

On Monday, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL distributed humanitarian aid in Nabatieh, north of the Litani river. This area had been placed under evacuation orders. In these hard-to-reach areas, where the population is in desperate need of assistance, the NGO’s teams collaborated with local municipalities to distribute food kits. These distributions will continue over the next two weeks. 

March 13, 2026

“We only had ten minutes to pack up our lives and leave. Missiles were falling all around us. We drove all night and spent our first night sleeping on the pavement before finding refuge in a school, which is now hosting us,” says a displaced Lebanese teacher.

For two days, testimonies have been flooding in, all telling the same story: the evacuation was sudden and brutal, often taking place during bombing. “We walked in constant fear that something would fall on us,” adds another Lebanese woman. As this Syrian woman who left her village with a few clothes grabbed in a panic as the bombing approached.

There are now more than 816,000 displaced people. Of these, 126,000 have found refuge in the 589 collective shelters that have opened, but most of these are full to capacity. Many of these shelters are unsuitable for accommodating large numbers of people – such as schools – resulting in extremely precarious living conditions: overcrowded rooms with no privacy, heating and no adequate sanitation. Some families have not yet found shelter and are still sleeping in their cars.

Around fifty SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL employees are working in Lebanon, fully committed to organising emergency distributions and rehabilitating collective reception centers. 7,000 people have already benefited from this aid: food packages, hygiene kits, blankets and mattresses have been distributed, and work on waterproofing, heating and connecting to water and sewerage networks is continuing in the centers. Toilets and showers must be built quickly to prevent unsanitary conditions from developing.

Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that France would triple its humanitarian aid supplies, from 20 to 60 tonnes, in partnership with the CMA CGM Foundation. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will receive some of this equipment and distribute it to collective sites in Akkar and the south of the country.

The French government has also allocated six million euros in support to humanitarian organisations in Lebanon. While this aid is valuable, it is insufficient in the face of enormous needs, particularly when compared to the 100 million euros announced for 2024.

The humanitarian priorities remain clear: housing, water and food.
However, given the scale of the destruction and the instability of the situation, it is clear that the humanitarian crisis will be a long-term one, regardless of how the fighting evolves.

March 6, 2026

Lebanon: exodus accelerates after evacuation order south of Beirut

Since the evacuation order imposed yesterday by the Israeli authorities south of Beirut, population movements have reached a new threshold. According to the latest estimates, nearly half a million people have already been forced to flee their homes. The situation has rapidly deteriorated, with 95,773 people now registered in the 441 official reception centres opened across the country.

With each passing hour, new needs arise: food, drinking water, emergency accommodation, hygiene, protection… Reception centres are overwhelmed, and local infrastructure is struggling to cope with the massive influx of displaced families.

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has begun distributing food in northern and southern Lebanon and is continuing to assess priority needs.

March 3, 2026, 4 p.m.

The day was marked by an intensification of the conflict. Lebanon has become one of the main fronts of war, with heavy bombing and Israeli ground incursions in the south of the country.

The number of people fleeing the war to the north continues to rise. By midday, 50,000 people had been registered in collective reception centres, while thousands more were still seeking shelter.

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL was able to distribute hygiene kits to people arriving at four collective reception centres in Saida, a large coastal city located 40 kilometres south of Beirut.

March 3, 2026, 10 a.m.

Since February 28, the United States and Israel have been attacking Iran, exacerbating the already severe crises in the region. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has been operating in the region for over 20 years and is ready to support those affected by this major act of violence. While the future of the Iranian population remains uncertain, the consequences are already dire in Lebanon.  

Uncertain futures in Iran  

The United States and Israel’s attack on Iran on 28 February is having repercussions in a Middle East that is already severely affected by crises. While the human cost remains unclear, the Iranian people have immediately been faced with issues relating to protection and health. Many people are also likely to have to leave their homes. Displacement is a time of extreme vulnerability, as access to essential services such as water, food and shelter is often unavailable. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is therefore prepared to provide assistance in neighbouring countries if population movements occur, and in Iran if access becomes possible.  

In Lebanon, the population is fleeing 

Teams are closely following the situation in all countries in the region. Of these, Lebanon is experiencing the most severe humanitarian consequences. The conflict spread quickly there, culminating in massive strikes on March 2nd in the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon. Evacuation orders continue to multiply, and an offensive by the Tsahal started on the morning of March 3rd. Within 12 hours, tens of thousands of people had left their homes. By the evening, there were long traffic jams on Lebanese roads, mainly heading north.
This was an additional disaster for these people, most of whom had already been displaced and had seen their environment destroyed 18 months earlier during the war between Hezbollah and Israel. 

Imminent deployment of humanitarian aid 

The SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL team has also been affected. Several members have been forced to flee their homes due to air strikes or evacuation orders and are currently trying to find shelter for their families. Nevertheless, the team is organising humanitarian aid. More than 40,000 people have already arrived at collective centres. Most of these are schools that have been made available, but they cannot provide the minimum level of sanitation and heating for these families, who are being housed there day and night at the end of winter. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will therefore urgently upgrade the infrastructure. Distributions of basic necessities and hygiene kits are also being prepared. 

As the entire region holds its breath, Lebanon is experiencing another tragedy in an atmosphere of almost resigned silence. The harsh winter and the Ramadan period are making an already difficult situation even worse. While the rest of the world analyses events and ponders the geopolitical future of the Middle East, let us not forget that civilians always pay the highest price in armed conflicts. 

Header photo : © Elisa ODDONE