Lebanon

+++ Latest news: During months of fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah in late 2024, many people from the south of Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley fled to other parts of the country or back to Syria. According to the UN, a total of over one million people have been displaced. Together with three partner organizations, WHH has already been supporting displaced people in the South and Nabatieh regions for several months. We continue to be especially involved in the Akkar region in northern Lebanon. In response to the humanitarian crisis, WHH is expanding its ongoing emergency aid for displaced people in Lebanon and is providing an additional 200,000 EUR. +++ Until the 1960s Lebanon was regarded as the “Switzerland of the Orient” due to its economic stability and political neutrality. However, in the decades that followed, wars and internal crises devastated the country. Even today it is still one of the freest countries in the Arab world. The Lebanese economy has been in decline for many years and has been further strained since 2011 by the reception of millions of Syrian refugees. Nearly every fifth inhabitant in Lebanon is Syrian. This leads to social conflicts: food and everyday goods are scarce and expensive, wages low and the unemployment rate extremely high.