Despite the ongoing ceasefire, insecurity remains high in the country due to persistent violations and almost daily Israeli airstrikes, especially in the south. The humanitarian crisis, which began in 2019, is worsening, and around 4 million people are in need of assistance.

“For several weeks now, Israel has resumed issuing evacuation orders in Lebanon, in the areas most exposed to its attacks, especially in the south,” says Vincenzo Paladino, an INTERSOS humanitarian worker in the country, beginning his account from the field as a direct witness to what is happening across the territory. “Part of our staff has also been displaced. Immediate evacuation orders are issued, followed by targeted attacks that destroy homes and villages. This is a modus operandi of the Israeli army,” Paladino explains.

Among the deadliest attacks in terms of human losses was the one that occurred on 18 November in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein El Hilwe, the most lethal attack carried out by Israel on Lebanese territory since the truce signed in November 2024 with the group Hezbollah. A missile launched between the camp’s houses, not far from the city of Sidon, killed dozens of Palestinians, most of them adolescents.

This has been the situation in Lebanon for more than two years, since the beginning of Israeli attacks on Gaza, which later spread across the region, involving Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran. After Gaza, Lebanon is undoubtedly the country where the war has had the most severe consequences for the civilian population, forced to flee their homes in most villages in the south and in other parts of the country due to Israeli attacks aimed at striking Hezbollah’s armed forces.

As of today, the Israeli army maintains six fixed outposts along the border, five of which are inside Lebanese territory, in the districts of Tyre, Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun and Hasbaya, and one beyond the Blue Line—the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon established by a 2000 United Nations resolution. Beyond the five outposts on Lebanese soil, cities are almost entirely destroyed, and few people have attempted to return, as the Israeli army continues to target essential infrastructure, such as water facilities.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, the situation remains highly unstable, with persistent violations and almost daily airstrikes. Since the agreement came into force, Lebanese authorities have reported more than 270 people killed and around 850 injured as a result of Israeli military actions. In addition, the conflict has caused massive economic losses, estimated at around USD 14 billion, with a cumulative decline in real GDP since 2019 exceeding 38%.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing a complex humanitarian crisis that began with the worst economic and financial collapse in the country’s history. This crisis has been further exacerbated by the evolution of the regional conflict, leading to increased poverty and the collapse of public services, weakening institutions, infrastructure and the Lebanese economy as a whole.

Today, humanitarian needs amount to approximately 4.1 million people requiring assistance; 1.6 million were experiencing acute food insecurity, and internally displaced persons are estimated at around 899,700 across Lebanon. These figures are compounded by the still high number of Syrian refugees, estimated at about 710,000, and 470,000 Palestinian refugees. Damage to infrastructure and housing is enormous, with 81% of total physical damage concentrated in southern Lebanon. According to the latest assessments, up to a quarter of buildings in the southern region have been damaged or destroyed.

 

Southern Lebanon

The south, particularly the Nabatiyeh governorate, is the most affected area and the one with the highest number of displaced people. Most collective shelters, often set up in schools, were closed after February 2025. Those who remain displaced have mostly found accommodation with relatives in major cities or within the same district. Some collective centers remain operational in Saida and Tyre. Middle- and upper-middle-class families have begun searching for alternative housing in areas such as Jezzine or above Saida, in anticipation of a new escalation.

“We at INTERSOS are still present, but there are many limitations. When you have to carry out activities near the border, there are many variables to consider, particularly regarding staff safety,” Paladino explains.

INTERSOS continues to operate actively in southern Lebanon despite the fragility of the context, keeping its centers open in Shebaa, Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh. The humanitarian team also carries out targeted operations near the border, including rehabilitation of damaged housing and the distribution of cash assistance for rent to displaced people or returnees in several southern locations such as Bint Jbeil, Rmeish and Enaibel.

Beqaa Region

In the Beqaa and Baalbek-Hermel regions, in northern Lebanon along the border with Syria, insecurity linked to the conflict persists, with frequent airstrikes despite the truce. Moreover, given the presence of the highest number of Syrian refugees in the country, the current crisis has also intensified instability in relations between communities. To manage this, several municipalities have introduced restrictions on Syrian refugees (such as curfews and the confiscation of certain assets, including private means of transport), exacerbating discriminatory sentiment. In areas where resources are already limited—including basic services such as water and electricity—the risk of intra-community tensions is further increased by the presence of around 83,000 new displaced people from Syria, who have sought refuge in Lebanon over the past year following the internal collapse that led to the fall of the Syrian regime in December 2024.

Here, INTERSOS has launched water supply projects for both Lebanese and Syrian communities, activities to support and protect displaced and refugee populations to reduce the risk of eviction, violence and exploitation, as well as legal assistance for Syrians to enable them to access essential services in Lebanon—often hindered by a lack of documentation—or to support them in the process of voluntary return to their country.

Beirut and Mount Lebanon

In the city of Beirut and the Mount Lebanon region more broadly, security risks related to Israeli attacks are lower, except in the Dahiyeh area in the southern suburbs of the capital, which has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli raids. In recent months, however, serious concerns have emerged regarding the safety of Syrian refugees. Here too, municipalities have intensified curfews and mobility restrictions, particularly for those without legal residency.

With regard to child protection, in October 2025 alone, INTERSOS recorded, especially among Syrian refugee children, an increase in child labor (46% of children reached) and emotional/psychological violence (around 32% of the individuals assisted). Humanitarian workers distribute drinking water kits, and informal education activities for minors are ongoing, including teacher training.

Northern Lebanon

The security situation in the north of the country has largely remained under control, with no clashes or direct airstrikes, but tensions remain high due to the national context. Tripoli and Akkar are among the areas most affected by food insecurity, with over 1.2 million people facing nutritional shortages. Many Syrian refugee families have moved into overcrowded informal settlements because they can no longer afford rent.

In this region, together with UNHCR – the United Nations Refugee Agency – INTERSOS primarily provides legal assistance to Syrian families, who here as well are excluded from access to essential services or face daily challenges and obstacles due to a lack of documentation.