WFP Lebanon Emergency Response: External Situation Report 12 - 12 December 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• WFP completed its November emergency cash assistance cycle, leveraging existing safety nets to support an additional 36,000 Lebanese people affected by the conflict. In total, WFP provided emergency cash assistance to 247,000 affected Lebanese people during the November cycle.
• WFP responded swiftly to the urgent needs of newly displaced individuals from Syria by distributing ready-to-eat meals (RTEs) to 3,100 households, benefitting 17,100 people across 18 shelters in Baalbek-Hermel and delivering 3,600 meals in one shelter.
• The fall of the regime in Syria prompted dual movements: many Syrian refugees returned to Syria, while around 30,000 Syrians most of whom are from religious minorities sought refuge in Lebanon, mainly in the Baalbek-Hermel region. This has increased humanitarian needs and further strained resources in these already affected areas.

SITUATION UPDATE

• Two weeks into the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, violations persist, and the situation remains fragile. Adding to the regional turmoil, the fraught shifting power dynamics in Syria since early December mark a pivotal moment for Lebanon. Border security risks may escalate as extremist groups exploit the power vacuum, while uncertainties surrounding refugee repatriation threaten to extend Lebanon’s socio-economic strains.
• Many displaced families face challenges returning home due to destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure, limited access to basic needs and safety concerns, with 179,000 of 900,000 internally displaced people still unable to return as of 11 December 2024, as per IOM.
• According to UNHCR, 18,500 Syrians and 40,000 Lebanese have fled Syria to Lebanon between 27 November and 7 December. Since 7 December, thousands of Syrians have reportedly returned to Syria via the Masnaa border, with additional unofficial crossings reported in Wadi Khaled. In parallel, movements into Lebanon from Syria continue, especially to Baalbek-Hermel, where Lebanese families and Syrian families mainly from religious minorities (70 percent Lebanese and 30 percent Syrian as per UNHCR) are sheltering in mosques, vehicles, and public buildings. Of the 41,400 Lebanese who fled to Iraq during the conflict 4,000 have returned to Lebanon as of 4 December. The Lebanese Government has kept the two main border crossings with Syria, Aarida and Josiah closed until further notice, following last week’s Israeli airstrikes.
• The number of people in shelters further decreased this week, with only 6,600 IDPs remaining in shelters as of 12 December, a 97 percent reduction since pre- ceasefire levels.
• Lebanon’s food insecurity is set to worsen, further straining infrastructure and deepening the effects of the economic crisis. As per the World Bank, Lebanon’s real GDP growth for 2024 declined by 6.6 percent in 2024, further deepening an economic contraction of over 38 percent in the past five years, equivalent to losing 15 years of growth.

[[{"type":"media","fid":"99776","view_mode":"default","instance_fields":"override","link_text":"wfp_lebanon_emergency_response_external_situation_report_no.12_-_12_dec_2024_1.pdf"}]]