Lebanon: Six key facts from on the ground 

We talked to our teams on the ground who see and experience this reality every day. Based on their accounts, here are six key facts that shed light on what is going on and the real extent of the crisis from a humanitarian standpoint. 

1. There is still an armed conflict going on in Lebanon 

Our teams are clear on one thing in particular: Lebanon is still immersed in an armed conflict. In spite of the temporary ceasefire (extended until 16 May), the conflict continues to be active: communities are still exposed to air attacks, bombings, building demolition and forced displacement. 

‘We see villages that are almost entirely isolated and areas to which it is impossible to return’, they explain. In the south of the country, especially along the so-called ‘Yellow Line’, dozens of towns are still inaccessible and being hit hard by military operations. Even further north, displacement orders are becoming more widespread and affecting new communities. 

2. Displacement is being dragged out and becoming less and less visible  

‘One of the biggest errors is to think that people can return home following a ceasefire’, our teams state. ‘There are families who tell us they might never be able to return.’ 

On the ground, a repeated displacement pattern is emerging: from villages to shelters, from shelters to host accommodation, then to rented rooms or informal settlements. This constant movement – of 1.2 million internally displaced people – means many end up beyond the reach of formal assistance systems and become increasingly invisible.  

3. The destruction of civil infrastructure will have long-term consequences 

‘What we are seeing is not just a humanitarian emergency today: it is the risk of a much deeper, longer-lasting crisis tomorrow.’ Civil infrastructures have suffered devastation on a scale that will prolong displacement and undermine recovery for years. 

‘When the basic systems needed for living disappear, people cannot go home, rebuild their livelihood or even get their autonomy back’, our teams say. Water systems, healthcare centres, roads, agricultural land and housing have all been seriously damaged or destroyed. 

4. The level of destruction is deeply alarming 

The Action Against Hunger teams describe the magnitude and pattern of the destruction as ‘deeply alarming’, especially in the south of the country. 

In towns like Khiam and Bint Jbeil, the devastation is so serious that it casts doubt on the possibility of a safe return. 

According to our teams on the ground, whether or not families can rebuild their lives depends on this return. The destruction of homes and infrastructures combined with military presence and access restrictions creates a scenario where recovery prospects seem remote. 

5. Hunger is getting worse, despite the ceasefire 

Our teams have emphasised another aspect of the reality on the ground: hunger has not ended with the ceasefire. Almost a quarter of the population faces serious levels of food security, with between 1.24 and 1.25 million people expected to experience acute hunger between April and August 2026. Families are cutting down on both the quantity and the quality of their food, surviving on a limited diet based on basic products like bread, rice and lentils. The situation is especially worrying for babies who are breastfed or dependent on formula milk. 

Our teams have witnessed a collapse of livelihoods, especially in the agricultural sphere, as farming activity has been halted in many areas due to insecurity and a lack of access to the land. Farmers who once maintained whole local economies are now without an income, in debt and forced to sell their assets to survive. 

6. Less visibility does not mean recovery 

Our teams warn of a growing risk of confusing the waning visibility of the crisis with real improvements in the situation. They explain that the falling number of people in collective shelters does not mean that families have gone back to normal. Many of them have moved to precarious housing, damaged homes or informal spaces, where they are less visible and therefore more difficult to identify and support. ‘The fact we cannot see them does not mean they are doing better’, they insist. 

What Action Against Hunger is doing 

Our response continues: we have already supported some 70,000 people in Lebanon and will keep on adapting to a highly dynamic crisis. 

Our teams are implementing mobile medical units, distributing food, treating malnutrition (especially in children and pregnant women) and working to guarantee access to water and sanitation, which are essential in contexts of overcrowding. 

But the message from the ground is crystal clear: a ceasefire alone is not enough. It does not rebuild homes, nor does it fix basic services or bring back livelihoods. 

‘Needs are still enormous, and they will continue to be for a long time.’  That is why our teams underscore the importance of not taking our eyes off a crisis that, though less visible, is still having a profound impact.