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Lebanon 

Lebanon’s Humanitarian Crisis: Overview, Red Cross Efforts, and Ways to Support

Humanitarian Crisis in Lebanon

Lebanon has faced a complex humanitarian crisis for many years. This has led to high poverty levels and made access to healthcare difficult for millions of people living in Lebanon. The worsening economic crisis, lasting impacts of the Beirut explosion in 2020, and political unrest have increased the humanitarian needs and further strained the healthcare system.

The escalation of conflicts in early 2026 and September 2024 have caused the situation to further deteriorate. People across the country are impacted by the current escalation, and the conflict has resulted in damage to homes, hospitals, schools, and infrastructure. Many people who were only beginning to rebuild their lives after past escalations now find themselves facing renewed fear, displacement and uncertainty.

The situation has created an enormous need for humanitarian assistance and protection. As living conditions deteriorate and intermittent violence persists, the need for affordable healthcare, food, hygiene, and other essential assistance continues to rise.

Man in a Red Cross uniform covers a child in a blanket in a crowd of people.
Photo: Ibrahim Malla / IFRC

Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. The situation for these refugees continues to worsen as the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon grows.


How the Canadian Red Cross and Lebanese Red Cross Collaborate to Provide Humanitarian Support

As the most widely accepted humanitarian organization across Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross provides vital support to people on a daily basis. This includes assisting in search and rescue, providing emergency medical services, operating primary healthcare centres and mobile medical units, distributing relief items and providing psychosocial support and safe spaces.

The Canadian Red Cross has been working closely with the Lebanese Red Cross since 2015 as they support the population’s critical health needs.Man in a Red Cross vest gives woman a box with the Government of Canada logoPhoto: Lebanese Red Cross

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Canadian Red Cross is supporting Lebanese Red Cross to strengthen their community and primary health care through an ongoing project. Funds have also been allocated to support the Lebanese Red Cross as they respond to the current escalation of conflict in early 2026.

The Canadian Red Cross has also supported the Lebanese Red Cross to:

  • Operate primary health care centres, mobile medical units, mobile community outreach teams, and Emergency Medical Services, by providing medicine and medical supplies.
  • Deliver accessible, affordable community and facility-based health services.
  • Provide community health programming, including sexual and reproductive health rights for women, men, adolescents, and children.
  • Provide information on where people can access basic health care and sexual and reproductive health services.
  • Respond to emergencies and disasters with immediate cash contributions.
  • Distribute food, water, hygiene items and blankets, as well as provide emergency medical services, primary health services and mobile medical services.

The Lebanese Red Cross is also prioritizing ways to sustain its vital health services, which are provided at an affordable cost to the population to cope with the surge in demand as it relates to the economic crisis.

Lebanon Humantiarian Needs Appeal Donor Updates


How You Can Help: Support Humanitarian Needs in Lebanon

Lebanon’s capacity to cope with the many overlapping crises has been nearly exhausted. As living conditions continue to worsen, the number of people in need is increasing. People in need of food and other assistance in Lebanon do not have many other options left.

Donations to the Lebanon Humanitarian Needs Appeal enable the Canadian Red Cross to continue supporting the efforts of the Lebanese Red Cross and local partners in Lebanon to address these humanitarian needs.

Make a donation to the Lebanon Humanitarian Needs Appeal. Your funds will support the Lebanese Red Cross and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners working in Lebanon to help those who need it most.
 

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