Lebanon Appeal

The 2024 conflict marked Lebanon's deadliest period in decades, with multiple crises exacerbating the country’s social, economic, financial and environmental instability. As a result of the conflict, 316 children were killed and 1,450 injured. Children affected by the conflict, including those injured, orphaned or separated from their families, had increased needs for psychosocial support. 

By mid-April 2025, 91,574 people – 70 per cent of whom were women and children – remained internally displaced, while 967,830 had returned to their areas of origin. However, families in southern villages, still to be demilitarized, are likely to remain displaced for a longer period. Returnees also face significant challenges, including damaged homes, water and health facilities and the risk of unexploded ordnance. 

Since the ceasefire took effect in November 2024, regular violations have continued in Lebanon, with at least 71 civilians killed, including nine children and 14 women, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Airstrikes continue to hit civilian infrastructure including near schools and medical facilities.

The conflict caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure and public services. A World Bank Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment estimates Lebanon’s post-conflict reconstruction and recovery needs at US $11 billion. The World Bank estimates that about 64 percent of community water supply distribution reservoirs were destroyed or partially damaged, while 59 education facilities were destroyed and 299 schools were partially damaged. The report estimates that the conflict led to a 7.1 per cent contraction in GDP in 2024. 

An estimated 1.4 million Syrian refugees remain in Lebanon, enduring increasing restrictions and the politicization of aid. Growing hate speech and restrictive policies have further challenged their rights and opportunities. For example, more than 28,000 non-Lebanese children are currently excluded from formal education due to missing documentation required to register in public schools.

Changes to the Syrian government, and a series of attacks across Syria, have caused significant internal displacement, outward movement to neighboring countries — including Lebanon — and the return of some Syrian refugees from Lebanon. There have been an estimated 124,000 or more newly arrived Syrians in Lebanon since December 2024, including more than 35,000 who arrived in March 2025 11 following the surge in violence in coastal areas in the Syrian Arab Republic. Meanwhile, refugees are still assessing the safety and dignity of returning to the Syrian Arab Republic before making informed and voluntary decisions. 

The combination of conflict, inflation and youth unemployment has deepened poverty and vulnerability throughout Lebanon, increasing the country's dependency on international humanitarian and development support to deliver basic public services. 

There are more than 203,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, of whom an estimated 93 per cent live in poverty, with Palestinian refugee children facing protection concerns including child labour, exploitation and vulnerability to violence and abuse.

Aligned to the Lebanon Response Plan, UNICEF is maintaining humanitarian programming at scale across Lebanon to respond to the needs of vulnerable Lebanese, Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees. In 2025 UNICEF will deliver programming to meet the needs of communities throughout Lebanon to support sustainable service provision including for recovery and reconstruction following the end of hostilities; to support social cohesion, and to support children, adolescents and youth on the move with a package of services as they return home in Lebanon or to the Syrian Arab Republic. UNICEF programmes support gender equality and disability inclusion, including for adolescent girls’ empowerment and inclusive education. UNICEF supports preparedness and contingency measures for future shocks.

Education programming focuses on reopening public schools, supporting refugee children to access education including through afternoon shift schools and via non-formal education and remote learning platforms. UNICEF supports water provision to refugee populations including through the Water Establishments for the emergency operation of water and wastewater facilities. Health programming supports mobile health units and primary health care centres (PHCCs) to provide integrated care including immunization and mental health. Part of this involves reopening PHCCs by providing essential medication and equipment. Nutrition and child development programming covers the prevention of all forms of malnutrition as well as the early detection and treatment of child wasting, including in PHCCs. Child protection programming monitors grave violations against children, delivers specialized services including mental health and psychosocial support services and case management for unaccompanied and separated children, children affected by armed conflict and those at high risk of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect. UNICEF ensures prevention, risk mitigation and response services to women and girls at risk for or survivors of gender-based violence. UNICEF delivers explosive ordnance risk education and social mobilization around violence against children and women. UNICEF supports social assistance through the National Disability Allowance alongside one-off cash assistance for people newly affected by emergencies. Youth and adolescents programming focuses on empowerment through skills building, employability and volunteering. The Palestinian programme supports Palestinian refugees with accelerated learning for out-of-school children, expansion of mental health and psychosocial support, scaling up youth employment efforts and provision of WASH services. The social and behaviour change programme includes risk communication and community engagement (RCCE).

Based on community feedback and participation, UNICEF embeds the cross-sectoral priorities of gender, accountability to affected populations and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in all programmes. 

UNICEF leads the WASH, education, nutrition and child protection sectors and participates in the health, basic assistance, livelihoods and protection sectors, including the working groups on gender-based violence, gender and humanitarian access. UNICEF co-leads the assessment and analysis working group. In collaboration with the Disaster Risk Management Unit and the Lebanese Red Cross, UNICEF is supporting emergency preparedness and response planning across all governorates. UNICEF leads the RCCE national inter-agency working group.