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Situation Overview
Since early March 2026, Lebanon has experienced a rapid deterioration in humanitarian conditions, with large-scale displacement exceeding 1 million people and the majority of affected populations residing outside formal shelters.
Affected households face displacement, widespread loss of income, rising rental costs in safer areas, and increasing debt, driving heightened reliance on humanitarian assistance.
The case for cash assistance remains strong, as markets continue to function in many areas-including major IDP-hosting locations—allowing households to access goods and services. The Cash Working Group (CWG) maintains that cash is the preferred modality where markets are functional, as it enables rapid, dignified, and cost-effective support for essential needs.
Cash assistance is central to meeting not only food and basic consumption needs, but also rent, transport, medicines, disability-related costs, communication, and emergency coping for displaced families outside shelters, including in hard-to-reach and high-vulnerability areas such as the South. However, cash remains significantly underfunded relative to needs, underscoring the urgent requirement for more flexible financing and stronger harmonization across the response to ensure timely, accessible, and scalable assistance.