In Lebanon, the humanitarian situation is dramatic. Hostilities escalated sharply in March 2026, marking a major deterioration in the fragile security situation that had persisted since November 2024.

The dire situation in the country is not solely the result of the war, it also stems from a deep economic and financial crisis that has persisted for over five years. But in this already fragile context, the conflict has further exacerbated the population’s vulnerability.

During the night between 1 and 2 March, nationwide bombings began and have continued since then, affecting Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and several areas in the south of the country. The escalation triggered large-scale displacement, with tens of thousands of people fleeing southern and eastern Lebanon to safer areas, often without being able to take anything with them. The humanitarian needs are growing quickly.

Reports indicate over 90,000 people displaced inside the country: reception centers are overcrowded, and many families seek shelter wherever they can, frequently sleeping in cars or outdoors. In some villages nothing is left: there is no connection to water and electricity, the infrastructure and services have been damaged or completely destroyed.

Within less than 72 hours since the exacerbation of hostilities, we launched an emergency response campaign to raise funds and distribute essential supplies, water, and food.

In recent years, AVSI focused its activities in the southern part of Lebanon, especially in the Marjayoun Plain. Once one of the largest agricultural areas in the country, it was abandoned due to the war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006.
Since the onset of the new war in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, and following the further escalation of hostilities in September 2024 and in March 2026, activities in the Marjayoun district have been halted or repurposed to support the population that has chosen to remain despite the bombings. Here, the presence of the staff allowed the distribution of basic necessities to over 700 families during the war of 2024, as well as providing educational activities and study support for students, helping them to recover the subjects missed during the months of school closures (Factesheet of our intervention in 2024-2025). In addition, a team of psychologists has offered psychosocial assistance to minors traumatized by the conflict and to their parents, through group therapy sessions or individual counseling.

AVSI had many ongoing projects in this area, including educational support, particularly for children, psychosocial support, and the rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged during the previous attacks. However, it is now impossible to implement all of them safely, for the staff and the communities we work with.
AVSI’s multifunctional center in Marjayoun, Fadaii, inaugurated in July 2023 and serving as a hub for the distributions that had just resumed in February 2025, was forced to close for security reasons.

The Distance Support Program started in Lebanon in 1998. Since the most recent outbreak, our social workers are keeping close contact with the 1,300 children and young people supported, through phone calls and WhatsApp groups, to check on their well-being and understand their immediate needs.

To support them, AVSI offers several forms of assistance, including guidance on available shelters, psychosocial support provided by social workers through a dedicated helpline, and informational materials on available resources and how to access them.

We have been active in Lebanon since 1996, initially responding to the socio‑health emergency that followed the war. In recent years, through education, vocational training – particularly in the agri‑food sector – and economic support, we have assisted vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian communities amid persisting hostilities and a severe socio-economic crisis. Our work is carried out in close collaboration with “La Libanaise”, one of the organization’s founding members.