écrit par Chiara Safar, S5FR, Lënster Lycée international school

 

Lebanon is currently grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian emergency as a severe economic collapse is paired with deadly cross-border conflict. Years of political deadlock and financial mismanagement have wrecked Lebanon’s economy: the Lebanese pound has lost roughly 98% of its value, and GDP has fallen by about 40%. By early 2024, inflation was in the hundreds, soaring up to 270%, with basic goods unaffordable for many. Banks remain effectively closed, and foreign exchange reserves have nearly vanished.

Rising Poverty and Collapsing Services

In May 2024, a World Bank report found that 44% of Lebanese households were living in poverty, up from 12% in 2012. Families are cutting back on food and medicine to survive, with devastating long-term effects. Meanwhile, public services have collapsed: in August 2024, Lebanon’s only functioning power plant ran out of fuel, triggering a nationwide blackout. Hospitals, water pumps, sewage systems, and other essential services were left in the dark, forcing people to rely on expensive diesel generators. Simultaneously, conflict-related damage has crippled water supplies – UNICEF reports that bombardment destroyed more than 28 water facilities, cutting water to over 360,000 people.

Escalation of Conflict and Displacement

Amid this already grim situation, the outbreak of violence along Lebanon’s southern border has dealt a fresh blow. Following the Gaza war in late 2023 and the rising Hezbollah-Israel tensions, Lebanon has seen a sharp escalation of hostility. As of 6 February 2025, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reports there have been around 5,000 fatalities and 20,000 injured.

The bombardment and fighting displaced huge numbers of people: by the end of September 2024 the government reported that 1 million Lebanese– roughly 20% of the population– had been forced from their homes. Around 900,000 of those displaced fled in just one week during the most intense clashes. Many moved to Beirut or northern regions for safety, while others crossed the border into Syria. In late September, over 235,000 people fled into Syria over just two weeks. This included an estimated 100,000 Syrian refugees returning home- a double-displacement that the UN refugee chief called “yet another ordeal”.

Food Insecurity and Healthcare Crisis

By early 2025, a UN-led assessment warned that nearly a third of Lebanon’s population was facing acute food insecurity as a result of the conflict. The World Food Programme and FAO echoed these concerns: widespread agricultural disruption and soaring inflation have made food both scarce and unaffordable. According to WFP, 2.5 million people now require food aid; the agency is scaling up operations to reach 1 million conflict-affected individuals and had already provided hot meals, essential supplies, or cash assistance to 750,000 displaced people by late 2024.

Hospitals and clinics, which are already under-resourced, are stretched thin. UNICEF notes that at least 15 hospitals and 70 primary health centers have been damaged or forced to reduce operations. Fuel shortages have left some hospitals without generators, while ambulance and emergency services face critical shortages. Health workers report families avoid hospitals due to cost or fear. Meanwhile, children in particular are at risk: with no clean water or sanitation, waterborne diseases like cholera and hepatitis could spread rapidly in refugee camps and shelters. As UNICEF’s Lebanon chief warned, children are “at growing risk of health and protection issues” as violence destroys schools, clinics and shelters.

Living in Fear and Desperation

Community leaders and aid workers describe an atmosphere of fear and desperation. “Each blast shakes the area around you and causes immense panic,” says Sherzada Khan of Concern Worldwide. “People are obviously living in terror of what will happen next”. Many families report eating fewer meals and children falling ill for lack of medicine. Fuel queues cause traffic for kilometers, and even the elderly and sick scramble to find generators or candles as nights go dark.

International aid efforts

In response to this escalating situation, international aid efforts have been mobilized. In early October 2024, Lebanon and the UN launched a $426 million flash appeal to provide emergency aid to one million vulnerable people. The appeal calls for food, shelter, healthcare, fuel and clean water. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC and LRC) have been distributing relief: between mid-September and November 2024 they delivered almost 40,000 blankets, 76,000 food parcels, 81,000 hygiene kits, and tens of thousands of mattresses to displaced families. They also supplied 186,800 liters of fuel to hospitals and helped power water pumps serving some 300,000 people. UN agencies and NGOs are working around the clock to dig people out of rubble, give medical care, and provide cash assistance.

A long road ahead

Even considering this, needs vastly outweigh resources. With winter setting in, heating and fuel costs are skyrocketing. Schools are closing or converting to shelters, and many factories have shut down for lack of power and raw materials. Without immediate aid, Lebanon could face famines, disease outbreaks and long-term societal collapse. UN officials and Lebanese leaders continue to urge the international community for support and a de-escalation of conflict. As Prime Minister Najib Mikati put it at the flash appeal launch: “This is a critical moment that demands the immediate attention and action of the international community”.

The unsaid impact

The crisis in Lebanon has no quick end. Even a ceasefire in hostilities will not immediately restore normal life. Infrastructure repair, rebuilding, and economic stabilization will take years. For now, millions of Lebanese and refugees remain in urgent need.

Beyond physical and political needs, the psychological toll on Lebanon’s youth – who face displacement, loss, and uncertainty – must not be overlooked. As their lives are uprooted, mental health support will be crucial to help them cope with trauma and rebuild hope. Ultimately, only a combined effort of sustained international aid, political commitment, and community resilience can avert a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe and lay the groundwork for lasting peace.

Toutes les opinions exprimées par les « Correspondants Humanitaires » sont uniquement leurs opinions actuelles et ne reflètent pas les opinions de CARE International, CARE Luxembourg a.s.b.l., d'autres bureaux de CARE et leurs affiliés. Les opinions des « Correspondants Humanitaires » sont basées sur des informations qu'ils considèrent comme fiables, mais ni CARE Luxembourg a.s.b.l., ni ses affiliés et partenaires ne garantissent leur exhaustivité ou leur exactitude, et elles ne doivent pas être considérées comme telles.

 

Les « Correspondants Humanitaires » sont des étudiants (pour la plupart mineurs) des lycées luxembourgeois qui ont participé à trois ateliers guidés par CARE Luxembourg a.s.b.l. et ont été chargés de faire leurs propres recherches sur les pays proposés. CARE Luxembourg a.s.b.l. se réserve le droit de modifier la forme des articles mais ne changera pas le contenu du matériel afin de respecter le travail des étudiants et leurs points de vue.