Iraq

Millions of people who have had to flee their homes following the conflict in Iraq, still need humanitarian assistance.
The Syrian crisis continues to generate political, social and economic pressure in Lebanon. Now, Covid-19 and the devastating explosion in Beirut are set to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the country.
The government has been working on strategies to encourage refugees to return to Syria, although the conditions do not allow it to happen safely and voluntarily. The Prime Minister’s declaration of a state economic emergency has also led to massive protests throughout the country, resulting in the fall of the government and the paralysis of all business and management activities.
Lebanon has a population of almost 7 million people.
Lebanon ranks 93rd out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index.
By the end of 2019, 1.5 million refugees were living in Lebanon.
Covid-19 has put an immense strain on the health system. Lack of funding and provision of personal protective equipment are making social tensions in the country worse. The risk of community transmission is very high.
“The country’s hospitals warn that they are overwhelmed by the Covid-19 outbreak as they struggle with funding problems, power outages, and a serious lack of personal protective equipment.”
The coronavirus lockdown measures have exacerbated the situation in Lebanon. For three months, people were left without jobs and many without income. Being able to buy food became a serious concern for the country’s refugees.
On 4 August 2020, a deadly explosion in the port of Beirut sent shockwaves through the country. The blast killed 178 people, injured 6000 people and left 300,000 people homeless. In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis, this disaster could send Lebanon to the brink.
Our teams in Lebanon continue to provide high levels of humanitarian response, despite the fragile political, social and economic environment. We’ve maintained our programmes throughout the country, with a special focus on collaborating with other organisations, in particular institutional donors and local authorities.
We reached 166,864 people in Lebanon through our programmes in 2019.
We have 148 staff based in Beirut, Zahleh, Tiro and Arsal.
We started working in Lebanon in 2006.
We’ve responded to pandemic by distributing hygiene supplies, disinfection kits, and communication materials. We have also organised awareness sessions on Covid-19.
For the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the blast in Beirut, we are:
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless following the blast in the Port of Beirut.
Millions of people who have had to flee their homes following the conflict in Iraq, still need humanitarian assistance.
The ongoing conflict has shattered the country’s infrastructures, forcing millions to leave their homes.
The humanitarian need in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, is still growing.