Escalated Crisis in the Middle East: 3 Things You Need to Know
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Lebanon in Crisis: Families Forced to Flee as Needs Escalate
“We had to leave everything behind in a hurry and we are now in a public space near the sea where we spent the night. There are many more people like us. No one slept this night, neither we nor our children. They’ve been crying the whole time, because they are cold and scared,” a Lebanese father told our trusted, on-the-ground partner, MERATH Lebanon.
The sharp escalation of hostilities in the Middle East has thrown Lebanon into a rapid, large‑scale displacement crisis, deepening humanitarian need. Some families have found temporary refuge with relatives, but it often means crowding into a house with 20-30 other people. Others sleep in garages, unfinished buildings and makeshift tents without mattresses, food, warm clothing or heating supplies. Schools have been converted into overcrowded shelters, also lacking basic necessities.
Many of these families have been displaced before. Now, they are reliving the trauma once again.
A Growing Humanitarian Crisis
As of March 24, 2026, UN partners reported that more than one million people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes — a number that continues to rise daily. The crisis is placing immense pressure on already limited access to shelter, health care and essential services.
Evacuation orders issued for more than 50 villages in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and parts of Beirut have driven widespread displacement.
This crisis comes as the nation continues to navigate the effects of prolonged regional instability and economic strain.
The people of Lebanon have already endured so much. Since the conflict between Israel and Gaza began on October 7, 2023, families have faced ongoing airstrikes and ground invasions. In November 2024, Lebanon experienced its most significant escalation of conflict since the 2006 war amid intensified airstrikes and displacement orders. While a cessation of hostilities agreement was reached after nearly two months of intense violence, the situation remains fragile, with more than 10,000 ceasefire violations recorded.
For decades, World Relief has been working across the Middle East in varying capacities, walking alongside families every step of the way.
Through the generosity of people like you, we have reached more than 199,000 people across the Middle East since 2023, including those in Lebanon. And we will continue to respond — but we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
In this moment of deep need, this is the time to act with compassion and be a light in the darkness.
Here are three things to know about the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and how you can be the hands and feet of Jesus for those suffering:
1. The most urgent needs
Overcrowding in collective shelters and inadequate access to safe water, sanitation facilities and hygiene supplies are raising concerns about deteriorating living conditions and heightened public health risks.
Families urgently need safe shelter, clean water, food, healthcare and mental health and psychosocial support.
Without these essentials, families experiencing vulnerability — especially children — face growing risks to their health, safety and wellbeing.
2. How World Relief responding
World Relief is working with trusted, on-the-ground partners in Lebanon, MENA Evangelical Association, Heart for Lebanon and MERATH, to assess urgent needs. Through these partnerships, we are uniquely positioned to act quickly and effectively.
Together, we are helping provide essential relief for conflict-affected and displaced populations including food assistance and packages for daily needs, mattresses and blankets, and critical supplies like hygiene kits and clothing — adapting our response as needs continue to grow.
World Relief has remained faithfully present in the Middle East and will continue to do so as instability continues and new crises unfold. Together with our partners, local churches and compassionate people like you, we can bring hope where it’s needed most, reminding families that they are not alone.
3. How you can help
The needs are staggering and urgent. Your generosity can help provide relief and support to families who have lost everything.
A one-time gift of $72 can help provide food assistance for a family for one month, ensuring they have the nourishment they need during this crisis.
A single gift of $217 can provide lifesaving support to help a family build resilience in the midst of crisis and displacement.
Families across Lebanon are facing unimaginable disruption — forced from their homes, searching for safety and stability.
Will you give today to help bring relief and hope to families in crisis?
Kristine Brackman is the Email Marketing Manager at World Relief. With a lifelong career in the humanitarian sector and firsthand experience on the ground, her work is rooted in connecting people to life-changing work around the globe. A Canadian-American with Filipino heritage, Kristine is drawn to the beauty of cultural diversity and the ways it shapes who we are and our shared humanity.