Updated 11 March 2026

What is happening in the Middle East?

Violence in the Middle East has escalated sharply and spread across the wider region, including Lebanon, where thousands of people have been displaced. Its consequences are being felt by families and forcibly displaced communities, and most acutely by women and children, further intensifying existing poverty and injustice.

The latest situation in Lebanon

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, placing additional strain on an already overburdened humanitarian response system in Lebanon.
Families have evacuated with little warning. Many are now sleeping in their cars, outside or seeking shelter in overcrowded collective centres, unsure if or when they will be able to return home.
More than a million people in Lebanon were displaced following airstrikes in 2024.
Continued airstrikes throughout the past year have killed tens of thousands and injured many more. Hospitals continue to struggle to treat the growing number of casualties.
Shelters and humanitarian services are overwhelmed as displacement continues to rise and urgent needs grow.

How is Oxfam Responding in Lebanon?

Oxfam and 13 international NGOs issued a joint statement expressing grave concern over the escalating military situation in the Middle East and calling on all parties to prioritise the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and civilian infrastructure, in particular health facilities, schools and water infrastructure, adhere strictly to international humanitarian law, and take immediate steps to end the violence across the Middle East.

Oxfam in Lebanon has activated its emergency response mechanism and is working with local partners to support affected communities.

On-the-Ground Action (updated 11 March 2026)

Oxfam’s South Lebanon Programme team continues its emergency response by distributing essential non food items to displaced people in 10 collective shelters in South Lebanon.

Assistance provided included:

604 Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) kits
100 hygiene kits
187 bedding kits
165 water packs

In parallel, water trucking activities have also begun in South Lebanon, targeting four collective shelters to ensure access to safe water for displaced populations. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation across the region, including Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Palestine, and are ready to scale up our response if needs increase.