Italy supports UNHCR emergency response for displaced families in Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon 19 March (UNHCR) – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the Government of Italy, welcomed the arrival of much-needed emergency relief items to support the growing number of forcibly displaced families across Lebanon.

Since 2 March, over one million people have been displaced across Lebanon, fleeing from villages and towns in southern Lebanon, parts of the Bekaa valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, as large-scale Israeli evacuation orders were issued and strikes continued. Most have fled in a rush and left homes, jobs and everything they own behind. Many families are still on the move in search of safety and shelter. Syrian refugees are among those directly affected by the escalations, as Lebanon continues to host the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.

“Italy has once again shown strong solidarity with forcibly displaced people and the communities hosting them in Lebanon. This timely, vital support will help UNHCR and our partners provide essential items such as hygiene kits, kitchen sets, blankets and jerry cans to vulnerable families who have been forced to flee, ensuring they have the basic items they need during this extremely difficult time”, said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon.

An aircraft carrying over 11,000 core relief items funded by the Government of Italy arrived in Beirut today, allowing UNHCR and its partners to continue scaling up assistance for displaced people and affected communities across the country.

“This airlift reflects Italy’s decision to immediately step up its humanitarian engagement in Lebanon at a critical juncture”, said Fabrizio Marcelli, the Ambassador of Italy to Lebanon. “We have also allocated €10 million in response to the Lebanon Flash Appeal, combining this immediate delivery of relief items with additional support to humanitarian partners on the ground. Our objective is clear: to ensure that assistance reaches displaced families rapidly, while working in full coordination with Lebanese institutions”.

The distribution of the newly arrived supplies - carried out in close coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) and the Disaster Risk Management Unit (DRM), in order to ensure full alignment with national response mechanism - will be distributed to displaced families across Lebanon, including those sheltering in government-designated collective shelters and to host communities, where humanitarian needs continue to grow.

The Lebanon Flash Appeal calls for US$ 308.3 million to provide lifesaving assistance and protection to up to 1,000,000 people. In line with the Lebanon Flash Appeal and under this Emergency Appeal, UNHCR plans to assist 600,000 unique individuals for an initial period of three months.

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