Conflict in South Lebanon
Since October 2023, the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories has rapidly spread to other Middle Eastern countries, particularly Lebanon. The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah and other armed groups on the southern border of the country continues daily, affecting civilians on both sides. There are nearly 100,000 internally displaced people in Lebanon as a result of the conflict. The bombings are destroying homes, public infrastructure and polluting agricultural land. Existing vulnerabilities among the Lebanese and refugee population in the country have been exacerbated and displaced people often face poor access to food, basic necessities and health care. Many people have lost their jobs, others are living in insecure areas, separated from the rest of their families, to avoid losing their income. Also, people affected are paying a heavy toll in terms of mental health. INTERSOS has intervened since the first days of the crisis, assessing the protection needs of more than 5,000 displaced people and providing an immediate response through the distribution of essential goods, psychological and psychosocial support and case management of vulnerable people.
THE IMPACT OF THE CONFLICT IN LEBANON
On 8 October 2023, daily exchanges of fire began between the Israel Forces and Hezbollah and other armed groups, within a 10 km radius from the southern Lebanese border, mainly in the districts of Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun, Hasbaya and Tyre. Since January 2024, shelling has extended further, involving the districts of Nabatieh and Jezzine. Currently, we are witnessing a steady escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, with Israeli air strikes extending well beyond the southern border.
The ongoing violence has not spared civilians, including women, children, volunteer rescue workers and media personnel. To date, 83 civilians have been killed. Among them were 26 women, 12 children, 3 journalists and 19 health workers.
In recent months, we are witnessing mass displacements of Lebanese, Syrian refugees, Palestinians and migrants moving north to escape hostilities, mainly in Tyre, Saida and Beirut. To date, we are talking about some 94,000 displaced people. Approximately 60,000 people continue to live in conflict areas, exposed to daily shelling and without access to basic services.
Families affected by insecurity have left their homes and moved to different districts in South Lebanon and Nabatieh or to other governorates in Lebanon, particularly Bekaa and Mount Lebanon. According to the Consortium Protection Monitoring, which INTERSOS carries out together with its partners, internal displacements increased by 9% from November to December, mainly due to security problems.
The shelling also destroyed houses, public infrastructure and agricultural land that caught fire in the impact of the ordnance. 72 public and private schools have been partially or totally closed, affecting access to education for 20,000 children. In areas most affected by the conflict, such as Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil, 6 health facilities were forced to close and the number of medical consultations in primary facilities is decreasing.
THE MAIN VULNERABILITIES AMONG DISPLACED PEOPLE
From the beginning of November to the end of December 2023, we assessed the protection needs of 5,527 displaced people in the governorates of South Lebanon and Nabatieh.
Displacement in recent months has exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities among those affected and reduced their ability to secure basic needs and live in safety. Based on the results of the needs assessment conducted by our staff, as a result of the conflict 89% of households have limited or no ability to purchase food, 84% have limited or no ability to access hygiene kits, 70% have lost their ability to purchase basic necessities, 61% have lost their ability to purchase water, and 26% have lost their ability to cover the costs of chronic illnesses.
Access to essential services was also hampered by several factors related to the socio-economic and legal situation of displaced families. 71% stated that they had lost their jobs and livelihoods, 50% lacked information on services available in the areas they moved to, and 3% reported that they had lost access to their legal documents.
Furthermore, having no alternative sources of income, many people chose to remain in risky areas or to move between safe and unsafe areas, in order to continue doing seasonal work, such as olive harvesting. To ensure the safety of their families without losing their livelihoods, several men chose to remain in the border areas, while their wives and children moved elsewhere, in effect separating the head of the family from the rest of the household.
Assessed needs
INTERSOS EMERGENCY RESPONSE
On the basis of this assessment and of the needs that emerged, we provided an immediate response by distributing basic necessities, providing initial psychological assistance and psychosocial support services and managing the cases of vulnerable people identified.
928 families of 3,989 people received hygiene kits, mattresses, blankets, cholera kits, sanitary pads and napkins for adults and children. In parallel, over 2,000 people received cash assistance to meet their protection needs. Of these, 63% were of Syrian origin, while 37% were Lebanese.
The INTERSOS team in Lebanon has been active in responding to this crisis since 12 October, activating an Emergency Response Team (ERT) composed of 23 frontline workers, including social workers, psychologists and protection experts.
The rapid deterioration of the situation on the southern borders forced INTERSOS to close, first partially and then completely, three Community Day Care Centres located near the border. However, within our safe spaces in Tyr, Nabatieh and Saida, we provided integrated assistance to 755 people through emergency cash distributions, distribution of basic necessities and referrals to specialised services.
An INTERSOS team also intervened in 4 collective shelters in the district of Tyre: the Lebanese German University, the Technical School of Tyre, the Intermediate School for Girls in Tyre and the National School of Tyre. Our staff carried out a number of interventions to ensure privacy and security, installing locks and solar panels to ensure lighting and creating separate spaces. We also secured the electrical system and made the toilets accessible to the people with disabilities. We provided water tanks and fire extinguishers.
In order to strengthen resilience within the displaced communities we also organised community based initiatives. We directly provided displaced people who moved from Kfarchuba to Saida with training on psychological first aid in order to impart the skills needed to directly support individuals in the community who are continuously moving. In Sour and Nabatieh, meanwhile, we trained community members who volunteered to become community teachers for children who are out of school due to war or displacement.
INTERSOS launched its emergency response thanks to the support of ECHO, PRM and regular funding from UNHCR.
*Data from October to December 2023
5.527
Individual assessments of protection needs
3.989
People received basic necessities
2.000
People received cash assistance
755
People received integrated care
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW
Currently, within our safe spaces in Tyre, Nabatieh, and Saida, we support displaced and local communities through social welfare services, cash assistance, community initiatives, and emotional support groups. Despite the closure of our three centers in Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun, Hasbaya, we have never stopped helping people who remained in the areas at risk, providing psychological support remotely and continuing to intercept cases that need assistance through our community volunteers still present in those areas.
We also carry out emergency distributions in high-risk areas through the mechanism of “deconfliction,” which employs special procedures to minimize the danger of accidents and ensure a higher level of safety for our workers and the people we assist.
From January to May 2024, in southern Lebanon, we supported more than 2,400 people by distributing money to them to secure housing, distributed hygiene kits to more than 1,300 people, and supported a total of 10,500 people through our protection activities.
*Data from January to May 2024
10.500
People supported with protection activities
2.400
People received money to secure housing
1.300
People received hygiene kits
OUR SUPPORT TO THE SYRIAN REFUGEE COMMUNITY
At the outbreak of the conflict, we saw several signs that the Syrian refugees present could be neglected in the emergency response. Moreover, several Municipalities issued Restrictive Memos that seriously affected the already critical situation of Syrian refugees and further limited their capacity of movement. To mitigate these challenges, in addition to advocating in support of the Syrian population, we worked to ensure that our response focused on internally displaced Syrian refugees. Through our network of staff and outreach volunteers in Nabatieh Governorate, we focused on supporting those outside the collective shelters, conducting in-person visits to accessible areas and providing remote responses within the red zones.