Lebanon Crisis

Lebanon Map
Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

The country

Lebanon is a country in the Middle East that gained independence from France in 1943. The country borders the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Syria. Its capital is Beirut. Lebanon covers an area of 10,400 square kilometers. As of 2022, the country had an estimated population between 5.3 and 6.7 million people.

The humanitarian situation

Since late 2019, Lebanon has been facing a complex humanitarian crisis due to several large socioeconomic shocks, ongoing political instability, and the steep deterioration of the economy. Hyperinflation, the depreciation of the Lebanese Pound (LBP), and lack of livelihood opportunities have exacerbated poverty and fueled hunger. Lebanon remains the world’s biggest refugee-hosting country per capita. 

Almost 12 years into the Syria crisis, the Lebanese government estimates that the country hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees (814,715 are registered), making Lebanon the second largest host country after Turkey. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the socio-economic downturn in the country has led to an exponential rise in extreme poverty and protection risks for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. 90 per cent of refugees live in extreme poverty. In addition, 209,000 registered Palestinian refugees are in the country, including 180,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and 29,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria.

The country’s financial and economic crisis is one of the most severe economic breakdowns globally since the mid-nineteenth century according to the World Bank. The political and economic crisis in Lebanon has led to widespread poverty among the population, the collapse of public services and growing tensions that are exacerbated by the war against Ukraine and the global food crisis. Poverty is the root cause of hunger in the Middle Eastern country.

IPC's (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) latest acute food insecurity analysis indicates that nearly 2 million Lebanese residents and Syrian refugees face crisis levels of hunger or worse between September and December 2022 and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods, and prevent acute malnutrition. 

According to the IPC analysis, between January and April 2023, about 2.26 million people in Lebanon are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, impacted by a further deterioration of the economic situation and depreciation of the Lebanese Pound, protracted inflation, and soaring international prices.

The United Nations estimates that 2.3 million people in Lebanon are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023, including 2 million Lebanese, 209,000 Palestine refugees, and 90,000 migrants. In addition, some 90% of the 1.5 million Syrian refugees in the country continue to require humanitarian aid.  Therefore, a total of 3.65 million men, women, and children currently living in the country require humanitarian assistance this year. The humanitarian community focuses on providing essential short-term support to most vulnerable people affected by the economic crisis to meet their critical needs in terms of health care, food, nutrition, education and water.

The Lebanese government declared a cholera outbreak on October 6, 2022, the first outbreak of cholera since 1993. As of December 2022, the government reported 5,372 suspected or confirmed cases of Cholera and 23 deaths.

Lebanon LocationThe security situation

Since its independence, Lebanon has experienced several periods of political turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on its historical position as a regional center for finance and trade, although that status has significantly diminished since the beginning of Lebanon’s economic crisis in 2019, which includes simultaneous currency, debt, and banking crises. 

The country's 1975-90 civil war was followed by years of social and political instability. Sectarianism is a key element of Lebanese political life.  Lebanon is a parliamentary republic based on the 1943 National Pact, which apportions governmental authority among a Christian president, a Shia speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (parliament), and a Sunni prime minister.

The Syrian conflict has affected the country economically and socially. Over the past 11 years, the conflict has further strained the country’s already weak infrastructure and ability to deliver social services. Neighboring Syria has historically influenced Lebanon's foreign and domestic policies, and its military occupied Lebanon from 1976 until 2005. Hezbollah - a major Lebanese political party and militia - and Israel continued attacks and counterattacks against each other after Syria's withdrawal, and fought a brief war in 2006. 

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the unprecedented economic meltdown and weak governance in Lebanon has led to an upsurge in tensions and security incidents, often driven by competition for basic services and commodities. Crime rates remain high, and incidents of hate speech and stigmatization of communities have reportedly multiplied. State institutions and state services, that were already suffering from years of underinvestment prior to the compounded crisis, are now on the brink of collapse.

Significant human rights issues are reported in Lebanon including serious political interference with the judiciary, serious restrictions on free expression and media, violence, threats of violence or unjustified arrests or prosecutions against journalists, censorship, and the existence of laws criminalizing libel, and serious restrictions on internet freedom. 

There are also reports of refoulement of refugees to a country where they would face a threat to their life or freedom, serious high-level and widespread official corruption, existence or use of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex persons, and the existence of the worst forms of child labor.

Donations

Your donation for the Lebanon emergency can help United Nations agencies, international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their local partners to rapidly provide water, food, medicine, shelter and other aid to the people who need it most.

There are currently few active appeals for the Lebanon crisis. You may also consider an un-earmarked donation to organizations that are active in the country.

Further Information

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