Between Ruins and Hope

Beirut, 1st April 2026 - Since 2 March, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has continued to worsen as a result of the escalation of hostilities. Intensified airstrikes, repeated displacement orders across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and Southern Lebanon are driving widespread destruction of critical infrastructure and forcing thousands of families to flee, often with little notice and nowhere safe to go.

Displacement across Lebanon has reached unprecedented levels. More than one million people are now estimated to be displaced, including over 138 532 individuals sheltering in 678 collective sites as of 6 April. Many others remain outside formal settings, where needs are less visible but equally urgent.

Across the country, and especially the South, the situation continues to deteriorate. Ongoing airstrikes and damage to critical infrastructure, including key transport routes, are increasingly isolating communities and constraining humanitarian access. At the same time, attacks on healthcare and essential services are further limiting access to lifesaving care, even as needs continue to rise.  

Kirollos Fares, Medair Country Director in Lebanon, said: “Weeks into this escalation, we are seeing repeated waves of forced displacement. Families are being ordered to leave with very little notice, often multiple times, with no clarity on where they can go or when they can return. Repeated damage to civilian infrastructure - including health facilities - has rendered large parts of the South uninhabitable and stripped communities of access to basic services.”

From the first day of the escalation, Medair mobilised its teams to respond to the needs of those affected by the crisis and has been scaling up its humanitarian response across Beirut, Mount Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the South. Since the onset of the conflict, over 116,250 essential relief items including mattresses, blankets and hygiene kits have been distributed to over 46,326   people across 189 collective shelters. Our teams are working to improve living conditions for displaced families by repairing public schools that have been converted into collective shelters, delivering essential healthcare services through mobile clinics, and providing psychological first aid to people who were forced to flee their homes and are experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma.

Kirollos Fares added: “Our teams are working around the clock to keep pace with the scale of needs. While we continue to reach people in collective shelters, needs are increasing rapidly. Despite the challenges, our staff remain committed to delivering assistance with care and dignity.”

Lebanon’s overlapping crises including economic decline, strained public services, and prolonged displacement have left communities with little capacity to cope. Protection risks are rising, particularly for those in overcrowded shelters or outside formal support systems, while humanitarian access remains constrained by persistent insecurity.  

Immediate priorities remain access to safe shelter, healthcare, essential relief items, and mental health support. Ensuring safe and sustained humanitarian access remains critical.  

Medair continues to deliver impartial, needs‑based assistance to Syrian refugees, internally displaced Lebanese, and vulnerable Lebanese communities affected by Lebanon’s multiple crises, with a sustained focus on dignity, care, and recovery.

‍

‍

About Medair

Medair is a humanitarian and international Christian organization founded in 1989, specializing in emergency response and rehabilitation. It intervenes in the most severe crises, providing lifesaving assistance to vulnerable populations affected by conflicts, natural disasters, or epidemics.  

Medair focuses on health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as the protection of the most isolated communities. Present in more than 10 countries, the organization works in partnership with local communities to save lives and restore dignity, while strengthening their resilience to future crises. Medair acts without distinction of race, religion, or nationality, guided by the principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality.

‍

‍

‍

‍

For further information, interview with Kirollos Fares, Medair Country Director in Lebanon, please contact: 

Tamara Berger, Field Communications Advisor

Medair, Tel. +41 (0)78 716 51 40  
E-mail : media@medair.org | www.medair.org

‍