Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
• WFP is closely monitoring population movements following the ceasefire, swiftly adapting its assistance to meet the urgent needs of both displaced individuals and returnees. Since 23 September, WFP reached 497,900 people with cash and food assistance including the provision of 4.5 million meals.
• Between 22 and 28 November, WFP, conducted two joint interagency convoys to Saida in South Lebanon, delivering Ready-To-Eat rations (RTEs) and other humanitarian assistance to 4,650 individuals affected by the conflict.
• With rising needs exacerbated by winter conditions, WFP urgently requires US$ 49 million by the end of the year to sustain emergency operations. This funding is critical to support displaced individuals inside and outside shelters.
SITUATION UPDATE
• After nearly 14 months of hostilities and two months of fierce fighting and ground invasion, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire effective 27 November 2024. The agreement establishes reciprocal commitments to end hostilities. The Lebanese Army will control weapons in the south, dismantling unauthorized infrastructure. Israel will withdraw further from Lebanon’s southern borders within 60 days. The situation remains fragile however, with multiple ceasefire violations recorded in the first days alone, through ongoing military activities.
• Since the onset of conflict in October 2023, 3,961 deaths, including more than 240 children, and 16,520 injuries were recorded, according to the Ministry of Public Health. The conflict has severely impacted nearly 1.6 million people with 899,800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) (IOM) as of 26 November 2024, out of whom over 770,000 were displaced during the past two months, including 80,000 Syrian refugees. As per the Lebanese General Security, 610,900 people have crossed into Syria since 23 September (63 percent Syrians and 37 percent Lebanese).
• Just after the ceasefire agreement was announced on 26 November, streams of cars carrying displaced people began returning to the South, the Bekaa and the Southern suburbs of Beirut. The number of people staying in shelters decreased sharply by 78 percent, leaving 40,700 IDPs in shelters as of 28 November.
• Israel targeted the Arida bridge in North Lebanon shortly after the ceasefire declaration. This bridge was the only official crossing still linking Lebanon to Syria, preventing those who had crossed to Syria from returning to Lebanon. The bridge is under repair with people able to cross but not yet functional for cargo.
• Lebanon’s food insecurity is set to worsen, further straining infrastructure, displacing communities, and deepening the effects of the economic crisis. As per the World Bank, Lebanon’s real GDP growth for 2024 is projected to decline by 6.6 percent, further deepening an economic contraction of over 34 percent in the past five years, equivalent to losing 15 years of growth.