Our work in Lebanon

Overview

The crisis in Lebanon is complicated because of the unstable political and economic situation and conflict spilling over from neighbouring countries. Because of these many factors, the country is struggling to remain stable and improve the lives of its people. Despite efforts to improve conditions and make reforms, Lebanon is still being held back by severe economic crises, which often cause electricity blackouts, poor health care services, mass unemployment and soaring food prices.

Ongoing security issues from nearby conflicts are making the economic situation in Lebanon even worse, particularly in the south and Beqaa region in the east. Despite a ceasefire being agreed in November 2024, more than 92,000 people have still had to flee their homes because of conflict, and can’t go back until it’s safe.

The country is hosting a large population of refugees, including people from Syria and Palestine, many of whom have been forced from their homes multiple times. These refugees face great hardship, with more than 1.2 million facing hunger. This has led to tensions between different refugee communities, and many people are increasingly traumatised and distressed.

People in greatest need, including families forced from their homes, refugees and migrant workers, alongside other vulnerable communities, are suffering great hardship as a result. The recent conflicts have badly affected farming and reduced the amount of food available, which means even more people need support to recover and rebuild their livelihoods.

Our work in Lebanon

Since early 2013, Tearfund has been responding to multiple crises in Lebanon, including the Syrian refugee crisis, the 2019 economic crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 explosion at the Beirut Port, and the recent Gaza conflict. Over the years, Tearfund has broadened its support from initially helping Syrian refugees to now also assisting vulnerable Lebanese and migrant communities across the country.

Tearfund works alongside local organisations and churches that have a good track record of impartial and effective work. By strengthening and supporting these local organisations, Tearfund is making sure that these community-led programmes are sustainable and have a lasting impact.

Tearfund’s work in Lebanon includes:

• Supporting churches to respond quickly in an emergency and support communities to be transformed in the long term.
• Providing churches with the training and resources they need to respond to recent crises.
• Helping community members, partner agencies, church staff and volunteers to cope with the mental health challenges of living in a nation in crisis.
• Providing practical support to low-income families to withstand the harsh winter weather.
• Encouraging communities to live in harmony and peace.
• Supporting communities to take care of the natural world and the environment around them.
• Training and supporting people with low or no income to start businesses, providing grants and creating jobs.

Emergency response

Tearfund is providing essential emergency support for people who have been displaced from their homes because of the Israel–Palestinian conflict. We are meeting people’s immediate needs while also providing long-term help to people who have been forced to flee their homes.

Our emergency response includes:

• Food assistance, food vouchers, and hot meals to displaced and affected households.
• Non-Food Items (NFIs) such as hygiene and dignity kits, mattresses, pillows, blankets, and jackets.
• Psychosocial support services and recreational activities.
• Local initiatives to foster social cohesion.

Winter Support

Lebanon’s harsh, cold winters can be damaging to people’s health, particularly families in inadequate shelters and people living at high altitudes. Tearfund partnered with local organisations and churches to support 9,786 people through the hard winter months.

Tearfund supports Syrian refugees and Lebanese people hit hard by the harsh winter conditions across 16 places, including in Akkar, Beirut, Bekaa and Mount Lebanon. This included providing essential items like blankets, mattresses, jackets, carpets, and stoves, alongside cash-for-heating, and fuel and gas heating vouchers.

Zahle, a struggling mother whose husband has a disability, was given life-saving support to help the family through winter. She was given cash to pay for heating, which she used to buy wood to keep her family warm. Otherwise, the family would not have been able to afford to stay warm and would have faced huge mental and physical distress.

Nizar’s story

Conflict forced Nizar from his stable life in Syria to Lebanon in 2013. In the Bekaa Valley, he and his family faced many struggles, from cultural challenges to a lack of money, worsened by crises like the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite Nizar's work as a farm labourer, he was not always able to provide for his family.

Local church volunteers came alongside Nizar to help him through this difficult time. When nearby conflict left him jobless and his children became terrified by airstrikes, the church gave them food, warm winter jackets, and other home essentials. Nizar says this practical support has been a blessing, restoring dignity and hope. He says he is deeply grateful for their compassion.