Adult and child standing on top of building rubble.

Inside the shelters supporting families fleeing the war in Lebanon

Across 28 shelters, War Child and its partners are providing children and families with safety, care and support.

Across Lebanon, families are sleeping wherever space can be found. On classroom floors, in temporary shelters and in buildings opened by local communities. 

As more families arrive each day, shelters are becoming increasingly crowded. Hundreds of thousands of people across Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes in recent days, including around 200,000 children. 

In parts of the Bekaa Valley and northern Lebanon, War Child is working with the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) to help run shelters for displaced families. When families arrive, staff register new arrivals, organise sleeping areas and make sure parents and children have access to basic essentials, including food. 

For children, the sudden disruption can be confusing and frightening. School routines have been interrupted, familiar surroundings have disappeared and many are now sleeping in places they have never been before. 

For families who have been forced to leave their homes behind, the shelters offer something simple but vital: a place where children can sleep, eat and stay close to their parents and regain a small sense of safety. 

“Since the escalation began, we have seen entire families arriving in waves across the Bekaa area and North Lebanon with almost nothing,” said a staff member from LOST.

Kitchen showing hands assembling food boxes.
WCA
“Many people are staying with relatives or in informal shelters, and the pressure on local communities is growing by the hour. Our teams mobilised immediately, reopening operational centres and preparing warehouses and field kitchens to be used as shelters and safe spaces.”
Staff member from LOST

Food is one of the most immediate needs for families arriving at shelters. Parents who fled with their children often no longer have access to kitchens or the resources needed to buy food after leaving home so quickly. For many, finding something to eat becomes one of the first challenges after reaching safety. 

To help meet this need, War Child and its partners have been distributing meals to families staying in shelters. So far, more than 12,800  meals have been provided to 3,700 people across 28 shelters, alongside drinking water and essential hygiene items. 

For families who may not have eaten properly since leaving their homes, these meals provide immediate relief and allow parents to focus on helping their children settle into unfamiliar surroundings. Alongside food, we are also providing essential items such as blankets, mattresses and hygiene supplies. 

Supporting children’s mental health is also a priority. War Child is creating safe spaces across 5 shelters where children can talk about their experiences, manage stress and begin to process the trauma they have experienced as well as continue learning. Our staff and local partners are also working to protect children from the increased risks they face during conflict, including violence, exploitation and separation from their families. 

As violence continues to escalate, some families in Lebanon are now crossing the border into Syria. War Child is working with local partners at the border to support those arriving after fleeing their homes, providing hot meals, water and other essential supplies.  

In Afghanistan, War Child is preparing to respond to an expected increase in families being forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan, where many are likely to arrive with little to no support.  

In the oPt, this escalation is adding pressure to an already ongoing crisis. War Child is working with local partners who are preparing to scale up our work in Gaza and West Bank as children’s needs continue to grow. 

Across the Middle East and wider region, conflict and displacement continue to shape the lives of children. Our analysis estimates that 102 million children are now at risk. For many, the impact of violence leaves deep emotional wounds that can stay with them for a lifetime. 

Children in conflict cannot wait. War Child is scaling up its response to support children across Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria and Yemen. 

Donate today to our Emergency Middle East Appeal to support War Child’s work. Just £2 can provide a hot meal for a child who has been forced to flee their home.

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