
Recent weeks have seen a sharp escalation in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and plunging the country further into crisis.
More than 346,200 people have been displaced in the last 3 weeks, with Lebanon’s prime minister saying the total number of internally displaced people in the country has reached more than 1.2 million. Among those uprooted by the violence are many Syrian and Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.
For so many families, particularly those in the country’s south, October marks a year of living in constant fear and uncertainty as regular bombardment shook their homes and villages.
The crisis in Gaza quickly spilled into nearby Lebanon, where resources were already stretched incredibly thinly after years of crippling economic crisis. At least 2,036 people have been killed and more than 9,000 wounded in Lebanon since last October.
Islamic Relief has been supporting people displaced by the violence since 8 October 2023, and our staff on the ground continue to distribute desperately needed aid despite facing some of the same challenges as the communities we serve.
Difficult lives made even more challenging
Mariam’s* family is one of many that have seen their circumstances become even more difficult over the last year.
The 54-year-old cares for her husband and adult son, both of whom have disabilities. She also lives with her widowed daughter and 2 young grandchildren. Islamic Relief has distributed over 1,300 mattresses to displaced families like Mariam’s
Displacement has been a struggle for the family, which has been forced to move more than 40km from their border town. Mariam’s family were frightened of the intense bombing, but once their own house was damaged, they knew they had to leave.
Now, the family is completely dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. It’s a struggle even to afford bread. Islamic Relief supported Mariam and her family with hygiene kits and food parcels to help keep them fed during these difficult times.
Hopes of return
Islamic Relief also gave a food parcel and hygiene kit to Fatima*, another mother forced to uproot her family to survive. “Alhamdulillah! I won’t have to worry about feeding my family this month,” she said after receiving the parcel.
Fatima and her 4 children managed to stay in their home for 3 months following the initial escalation last October, but soon the violence in the contested border area where they lived became too much to bear.

Cars clog the roads as families flee southern Lebanon
Limited resources meant the family could not travel far, but Fatima managed to get her children to a safer place, although nowhere in Lebanon truly feels safe now. They left home in such a hurry that they only had the clothes on their back and the family is now reliant on humanitarian support to survive.
As she navigates the challenges of displacement and living in ongoing uncertainty, Fatima remains hopeful that one day she will be able to return to her town and rebuild her life.
Desperately needed essentials
Since October 2023, Islamic Relief has supported displaced people in need of food, bedding and other essentials. So far, our aid has reached more than 48,000 people affected by the crisis.
We have distributed more than 10, 450 food parcels to families, along with 500 meat packs and 1,000 hot meals, helping to ease hunger.

Islamic Relief staff prepare to distribute medical supplies
Many shelters are severely overcrowded without adequate toilet and bathing facilities. To help combat this problem, Islamic Relief has distributed more than 2,200 hygiene kits including essential items like soap, shampoo and sanitary products.
We have also given more than 2,600 blankets and mattresses to displaced people, many of whom, like Fatima and Mariam, were forced to flee their homes with nothing.
To support healthcare facilities, we’ve distributed more than 17,600 essential supplies and pieces of equipment to help them continue their vital work.
The scale of need in Lebanon is enormous and growing rapidly. Please help Islamic Relief to continue supporting families in desperate need of assistance. Donate to our Lebanon Emergency Appeal now.
*Due to protection concerns, subject names have been changed.