Lebanon: Humanitarian scale-up urgently needed after almost two months of devastation

Following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire, a fragile sense of relief is overshadowed by uncertainty and caution among people in Lebanon.

The humanitarian and medical needs of hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon remain overwhelming. In southern Beirut, the Bekaa and south Lebanon, people have lost their homes, livelihoods, and loved ones, and over a million people have been forcibly displaced due to Israel’s continuous attacks.

While MSF teams across Lebanon are adapting their response and assessing needs, we continue to call for an urgent scale-up of humanitarian aid and unhindered access to people in need.

Months of trauma

People travelling south are queuing in traffic. Uncertainty remains high. Many do not know if they will find their homes standing or destroyed. 

Although a pause to attacks may bring some relief, people’s humanitarian needs remain urgent and immense. This includes the psychological impact of months of trauma caused by killing, displacement and lack of access to basic necessities.

Even before the escalation in early March, the so-called ceasefire existed in name only, as ongoing attacks by Israeli forces continued to devastate people’s lives. 

More than 64,000 people were still internally displaced due to Israel's incursions and occupation in south Lebanon, while attacks on reconstruction equipment and other civilian facilities prevented recovery in many areas.

Since 2 March, more than 2,000 people have been killed and more than 7,000 injured as of 10 April, according to local health officials. 

On 8 April alone, large-scale strikes by Israeli forces across Lebanon accounted for one-fifth of the casualties recorded since early March. 

Heading home doesn't mean an end to the suffering

MSF teams are working in Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, and Jabal Amel Hospital, Sour, to support the local healthcare system to respond to urgent needs. 

Together with hospital staff, our teams have treated patients with life-altering injuries, including severed limbs and severe organ trauma. Israeli forces indiscriminate strikes in densely populated areas have not spared civilians, while attacks on healthcare have killed and injured medical workers.

Many fled at a moment's notice, often with only the clothes on their backs. Months in overcrowded shelters or makeshift tents have worsened people’s health due to poor hygiene, inadequate shelter, and prolonged psychological distress. 

The consequences of displacement during war do not end when people try to return home. Some cannot return, as their homes have been destroyed, while others cannot even reach their villages in the southern border at all due to Israeli forces occupation. 

Economic hardship, loss of work, trauma, uncertainty, and absence of safety severely impact on people’s mental health. Many experience stress, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of severe traumatic stress.