For more than five years, Lebanon has been facing a deep economic and financial crisis, which has weakened the public services system and reduced the ability of many families to cope with difficulties. In this already fragile context, since 2 March 2026 the country has once again been affected by a severe humanitarian emergency, marked by continuous bombardments and the resulting widespread displacement of the population, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the disruption of essential services, particularly in the south of the country, the Bekaa Valley and the areas around Beirut.

At the most critical point of the crisis, more than 1.2 million people were forced to leave their homes. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have begun returning to their communities, but the situation remains fragile. Many families have returned to damaged homes and to communities where access to water, electricity, healthcare and other essential services remains limited.

In southern Lebanon, insecurity and damage to infrastructure make return difficult and, in some areas, risky. Humanitarian needs remain high, especially for displaced families, for those who have returned to their communities and for people whose living conditions and livelihoods have been severely compromised.

From the very first days of the escalation, we intervened to respond to the emergency, distributing basic necessities, water and food to people affected by the crisis. Today, we continue to be present alongside communities, accompanying them through a phase that combines emergency, return and recovery.

In recent years, AVSI has concentrated its activities in southern Lebanon, particularly in the Marjayoun Plain. Once one of the country’s largest agricultural areas, the Plain was abandoned following the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel and is now deeply marked by the consequences of conflicts.

Here, AVSI has developed various interventions over time: educational and study support activities, psychosocial support programmes and interventions to rehabilitate infrastructure damaged during previous attacks.
In July 2023, the Fadaii multifunctional centre was inaugurated in Marjayoun, designed as a space for activities aimed at the community and as a reference point for aid distribution.
The presence of staff in the area has made it possible, since 2024, to distribute basic necessities to more than 700 families and to provide educational and study support activities, helping students catch up on subjects missed during the months when schools were closed. (Factesheet of our intervention in 2024-2025)

Since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on 7 October 2023, and with the subsequent escalations of hostilities in September 2024 and March 2026, the context in southern Lebanon has progressively deteriorated.

In the Marjayoun district, many activities have been suspended or adapted in order to continue being alongside the population that has chosen to remain in their communities despite the bombardments. A team of psychologists has also provided psychosocial support to children affected by the conflict and their parents through group sessions and individual consultations.

Today, many of the initiatives previously carried out in the area cannot continue under normal conditions, for security reasons affecting both staff and communities. The Fadaii centre, which over time had become a reference point for AVSI activities and the distribution of aid to the community, has also been forced to close again due to the new escalation.

AVSI’s presence therefore continues through a response adapted according to the evolution of the situation, people’s needs and access possibilities.

AVSI operates mainly in southern Lebanon, in Nabatieh, Mount Lebanon, Akkar and the north of the country, also intervening in other affected areas when needs and access conditions require it.

The response is defined based on needs identified on the ground, dialogue with communities and vulnerability criteria, with particular attention to displaced families, people hosted in collective centres and informal settlements, people who have returned to their areas of origin, vulnerable host communities, children, people with disabilities and people exposed to protection risks.

Interventions include the distribution of essential household items, multipurpose cash assistance, winter assistance, water supply, sanitation services and interventions to improve housing conditions. In the water, sanitation and hygiene sector, AVSI combines the immediate response with interventions aimed at restoring access to essential services and accompanying communities during the recovery phase.

The response is adapted over time on the basis of assessments on the ground and the evolution of needs, taking into account access conditions and the security situation.

Immediately after the escalation, AVSI launched a fundraising campaign for the emergency. The flexibility of donations made it possible to rapidly adapt the response to the needs of people and communities, in coordination with public institutions, United Nations agencies, municipalities, local organisations and other humanitarian partners.

In southern Lebanon, funds have made it possible to provide water through tankers to families in border areas and hard-to-reach locations, distribute hygiene kits to more than 500 displaced families and provide gas vouchers, food parcels and Ready-To-Eat (RTE) kits to more than 2,500 families. The response has also included around 300 hours of psychosocial support and interventions to ensure continuity of Education in Emergencies, through transportation and food assistance for students.

Coordination with actors present in the area helps avoid overlaps and direct aid towards communities that are being reached the least.
In a constantly evolving context, this combination of presence on the ground, coordination and flexibility of donations enables AVSI to adapt its response to emerging needs.

The Distance Support project in Lebanon was launched in 1998.
Since the beginning of the new escalation, the AVSI team has remained in constant contact with children enrolled in Distance Support and their families through phone calls and WhatsApp, to accompany them, monitor their situation and understand their most urgent needs.

This remote presence is complemented by psychological and psychosocial support. In Marjayoun, the psychologist of the Distance Support programme, together with social workers, conducts psychological support groups, individual consultations and recreational and psychosocial activities in person, in safe places. The activities are aimed both at children and young people who have returned to their communities and at those who have continued to live in the area during the conflict.

The team also continues to remain alongside displaced Distance Support families. When security and access conditions allow, social workers visit families to understand their situation, provide guidance and support appropriate to their needs, and identify any new needs. Families also receive information about available services and resources, with guidance and referrals to the most appropriate services and interventions.

In Lebanon, AVSI works alongside Lebanese, Syrian and other people and communities, in contexts marked by economic crisis, conflict, displacement and significant inequalities in access to services. Interventions combine emergency response and development pathways, with a presence built together with communities, institutions and local actors.

Economic Development and Agriculture

AVSI promotes the development of local economies by strengthening people’s skills, productive activities and opportunities to access the market. The approach starts from an understanding of local areas and value chains and combines vocational training, support for farmers, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and the strengthening of local organisations.

Particular attention is given to the agricultural sector and the dairy value chain, which are important for the economy of rural communities. Interventions are carried out in collaboration with ministries, municipalities, producer associations, businesses, training institutions and other local actors, to strengthen skills, productivity and relations between the public and private sectors.

Among the initiatives currently underway:

LABNE – Local Economic Development and Entrepreneurship
Launched in 2025, the project supports local economic development in Akkar and northern Lebanon, focusing on the dairy value chain. By strengthening local institutions, producers and businesses, it promotes new market opportunities and collaboration among public, private and civil society actors.

ARED – Agricultural Recovery for socio-Economic Development
Starting in 2026, the project supports around 300 small-scale farmers through technical training, productive tools and resources, and new opportunities to access the market. The intervention focuses in particular on fruit and vegetable production and aims to strengthen the conditions for a more stable and sustainable agricultural recovery.

Education

For AVSI, education is a fundamental element of the development of the person and the community. For this reason, it works together with children, families, teachers and schools to ensure learning opportunities also for those who have been excluded from the education system due to conflict, displacement, economic difficulties or other conditions of vulnerability.

Programmes include preschool education, literacy, learning recovery and support for staying in school. Educational activities are accompanied by child protection interventions, psychosocial support, recreational activities and family engagement.

AVSI pays particular attention to children with disabilities and specific educational needs, through specialised services, support tools and teacher training on inclusion. At the same time, it invests in the continuous professional development of teachers through training programmes, classroom observation and accompaniment.

Among the main programmes:

Back to the Future VI supports Syrian children who are out of school through preschool education, literacy and learning support, together with child protection, psychosocial support and family engagement.

Rebuild through Education works in vulnerable communities in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and Nabatieh, combining education, protection, inclusion and psychosocial support with the rehabilitation of public schools and teacher training.

Strengthening Primary Education for Vulnerable Lebanese Children and Syrian Refugees in Marjayoun District works with schools and communities in Marjayoun and Nabatieh to improve the quality and inclusiveness of education, strengthening teachers’ skills and facilitating children’s access to psychological, speech therapy and psychomotor services.

Education Cannot Wait – First Emergency Response provides educational and protection opportunities for children and adolescents affected by the crisis through learning activities, learning recovery, teacher support, child protection and psychosocial support.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

AVSI works to ensure access to water and sanitation services both in emergencies and over the long term. The response includes the distribution of water, tanks, hygiene kits and sanitation services, together with the rehabilitation of public infrastructure.

Interventions include the rehabilitation of wells, tanks and water networks, the installation of solar-powered pumping systems, water filtration and treatment systems, and the improvement of wastewater management infrastructure. The use of solar energy contributes to reducing operating costs and dependence on fuel and electricity, helping ensure continuity of services.

Interventions are carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Energy and Water, water authorities, municipalities, risk management u