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Lebanon
09-03-2026 | di COOPI
Lebanon crisis: COOPI provides aid to displaced people and launches an urgent appeal
Around half a million people have been forced to leave their homes in Lebanon, 30% of whom are in need of all forms of assistance. COOPI has been responding since the first hours of the emergency and has launched a fundraising appeal to support humanitarian aid.
The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is rapidly worsening. In recent days, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to abandon their homes and move toward areas considered safer. Entire families have left everything behind within hours, seeking refuge wherever possible: in public schools, community centres, places of worship or with relatives and friends.
Government estimates indicate that 500,000 people have been forced to flee the bombings, with 30% in need of all forms of humanitarian assistance.
Many of the displaced have moved toward Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the northern regions of the country. The facilities hosting them are often overcrowded and have limited access to basic services. In many cases, families are sleeping in improvised spaces, sharing a few facilities and struggling to find sufficient food.
We left in the middle of the night, taking only a few clothes and our documents with us. The children kept asking when we would go back home. I didn’t know what to answer
Says Mariam*, a mother of three who is now staying in a temporary shelter.
This new wave of displacement is unfolding in an already extremely fragile context. In recent years, Lebanon has faced deep economic crises, instability and repeated humanitarian emergencies. Many of those now forced to flee have already experienced similar situations in the past and once again find themselves without means of livelihood.
Among them is Ahmad*, who reached Beirut with his wife and their five-year-old daughter after a long journey by car. They are now sleeping in a school that has been turned into a shelter.
We don’t know how long we will stay here, but the most important thing is that my daughter can eat and feel safe.
COOPI’s response
Faced with the rapid deterioration of the situation, COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale, present in Lebanon since 2013, has launched an emergency response to support displaced people.
COOPI’s team is operating in shelters and schools converted into temporary reception centres, distributing hot meals, hygiene kits, essential supplies and psychosocial support to families.
As Pascal Maillard, COOPI Head of Mission in Lebanon, explains:
The immediate objective is to ensure that the most vulnerable people – including children, elderly people and families who left their homes with nothing – can meet their basic food needs in the first days of the emergency.
In many of the places where displaced families have taken refuge, resources are limited and the sudden increase in population makes it difficult to ensure regular meals for everyone. Food assistance therefore becomes an absolute priority to prevent the humanitarian situation from deteriorating further.
An urgent appeal to support
To continue providing assistance to displaced people and reach a growing number of families in need, COOPI is launching an urgent fundraising appeal.
Funds raised will help finance:
- the distribution of food parcels to displaced families;
- the provision of essential items for daily survival, such as mattresses, blankets and hygiene kits;
- the strengthening of humanitarian assistance in informal centres, including psychosocial support and activities for children.
In emergencies like this, rapid response is crucial. Every contribution can make a difference in ensuring food and support for people who have been forced to leave everything behind.
Donate now and support COOPI’s response in Lebanon: