Lebanon: Islamic Relief supports displaced families as numbers continue to rise

The escalation of violence in Lebanon has displaced at least 90,000 people since Monday – with the number rising by the hour.

On 23 September, residents in the south of the country were ordered to evacuate their homes at short notice, leading to long queues of cars full of families hoping to find safety in the capital, Beirut, and other areas.

Schools are being used as shelters and quickly becoming overcrowded. Many of the people sheltering there are in desperate need of food, blankets, mattresses and other basic necessities.

On 24 September, Islamic Relief launched a S$10 million appeal to expand our efforts to help families uprooted by the escalation in violence.

At the same time, our teams on the ground visited 7 schools in Bassir municipality to assess the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering there. We distributed 166 blankets and mattresses and will continue to support people displaced by the attacks with essential items.

Along with other humanitarian organisations, we are actively contributing to all relevant sector discussions and participating in the working groups to which we belong, including the World Food Programme-led Food Security Working Group.

We have suspended our usual programming to protect the safety of our staff and the communities we support. Our team in Lebanon is focusing on emergency response efforts.

Since the escalation began in October 2023, spilling over from the crisis in Gaza, Islamic Relief has supported more than 27,900 affected people with food, hygiene kits and other basic items. We have also provided much-needed medical supplies to support hospitals and mobile clinics.

We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and respect for international law across the region.

Please help us to continue this vital work. Donate to our Lebanon Emergency Appeal now.