Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The hostilities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have intensified to unprecedented levels since October 2023, leading to immense humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territories. This has also impacted security and social-economic stability in neighbouring countries. Lebanon’s southern border has been the scene of continued conflict this past year, evoking memories of the 2006 conflict and its profound impact on the region.
Since 17 September 2024, the situation in the region has significantly worsened due to the dramatic escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, which is currently experiencing some of its most challenging days in its history. Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa region and Beirut’s suburbs have seen a massive escalation in airstrikes, leading to over 1,030 deaths and 6,352 injuries as of 28 September. 2 The attacks have caused severe damage to water, electricity, roads and telecoms infrastructure. The cost of damage to buildings and institutions is estimated to stand at more than one billion USD.3 The healthcare sector has also been severely affected, with the closure of six health facilities in Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun further limiting access to essential medical services. Mobile Medical Units have been deployed to mitigate this, but the overall healthcare system remains overwhelmed.
The hostilities have also forced hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon to flee their homes, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees. Many people are now accommodated across more than 700 shelters. 4 The number of people affected by the conflict continues to rise rapidly, with mass displacement as a result, including cross-border movement into Syria. Many people, for instance those who are farmers, are losing their livelihoods. People are also facing increased food insecurity due to disrupted supplied chains and loss of jobs. This conflict has come on top of an already dire socio-economic situation in Lebanon, which has diminished the Lebanese population’s ability to absorb these new needs.
Since the onset of the crisis in 2023, the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) has led the humanitarian response, as the main provider of prehospital care in the country. The National Society has focused on preparedness for potential escalations while assisting those in conflict-affected areas, displaced individuals, and host families. This includes readiness actions such as pre-positioning essential stocks, establishment of pre-disaster agreements with suppliers, and coordination with authorities to ensure unimpeded delivery of assistance. The key LRC services are ambulance services and pre-hospital care, blood transfusion, primary healthcare, psychosocial support (PSS), and the distribution of essential items and food. Following the increased of hostilities in September, LRC quickly scaled up these key services, building on its preparedness efforts. Through its different operational sectors, the National Society assists people who still reside in conflict-affected areas, people who were forced to flee their homes, and all others who are directly or indirectly affected by the conflict.
The humanitarian response from Lebanese Red Cross is complemented by response activities from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society Lebanon branch (PRCS-L), established in 1968 with a specific mandate of delivering essential health and social services to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon who are mostly residing in 12 refugee camps. PRCS-L oversees the management of five hospitals and seven Community and Health Care Centres that offer free services to Palestinian refugees and other vulnerable groups, including people who are directly affected by the conflict. Given that the situation remains extremely volatile, this revised Country Response Plan aims to outline LRC’s strategic priorities with an extended timeframe until December 2025. The protracted nature of the crisis required a shift to an integrated approach that encompasses this immediate response to the escalation of hostilities, as well as a robust longer-term response to rapidly evolving humanitarian needs. The plan also incorporates the Federation-wide support to the conflict preparedness and response activities from PRCS-L, primarily around health and MHPSS. Further amendments will be made as necessary, depending on the evolving situation and needs on the ground, and in alignment with the priorities and requirements of the National Society. For updated and detailed information on the humanitarian response since the onset of the most recent escalation, please refer to the GO Platform.