Attachments
Key Figures
1.3 million people projected affected by the emergency
600,000 unique individuals targeted by UNHCR
US$ 61 million required
Overview
Since 2 March, nearly one million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs as Israeli evacuation orders were issued and airstrikes continue. Families are still on the move, seeking safety and shelter. Refugees are also among those directly impacted by the attacks, evacuation orders and displacement, notably since Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest refugee populations per capita globally. The hostilities are driving extreme fear, anxiety, and psychological distress, particularly among communities already worn down by years of instability and repeated displacement.
Under the leadership of the Government of Lebanon and the Minister of Social Affairs, and within the existing Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) framework, UNHCR’s support complements and reinforces the Governmentled emergency response and its dedicated efforts to speedily sustainably the large number of civilians – Lebanese and non-Lebanese, including refugees - impacted by the hostilities. The Lebanon Flash Appeal calls for US$ 308.3 million to provide lifesaving assistance and protection to up to 1,000,000 people. In line with the Lebanon’s Flash Appeal and under this Emergency Appeal, UNHCR plans to assist 600,000 individuals (unique) for an initial period of three months.
Within the overall funding requirement of US$ 472.3 million for its operations in Lebanon, during 2026, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, urgently seeks US$ 61 million in flexible funding to scale up its emergency response for three months. In this emergency situation with internal displacement of both Lebanese and refugees, UNHCR plays a coordination as well as a response role within the sectors its co-leads, namely protection, shelter and core relief items, and cash assistance. while maintaining overall responsibility for the refugee response according to its mandate. To respond to the urgent and growing humanitarian needs of displaced Lebanese and refugees, UNHCR, together with partners, is delivering lifesaving protection services, shelter support and core relief items (CRI), as well as cash assistance to cover basic needs like shelter, food and medical costs and mitigate protection risks.
UNHCR was able to immediately launch its emergency response on 2 March by leveraging existing communitybased protection and operational infrastructures, to support both Lebanese and refugees fleeing from or remaining in areas under attack and evacuation orders. During the initial two weeks of the emergency response, UNHCR has focused on rapid protection monitoring, distribution of core-relief items to displaced in collective shelters and shelter improvements, emergency cash assistance, counselling and referrals of individuals with specific vulnerabilities and community mobilization. As needs and displacement surges across both refugee and Lebanese communities, UNHCR is, in line with the Flash Appeal, urgently scaling up both area-based and individual protection and assistance support.