Estonian Refugee Council launched a response in Lebanon amid worsening crisis

The Estonian Refugee Council began distributing food assistance and essential items in Lebanon over the weekend in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing military conflict and to support the most vulnerable people affected.

With support from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Refugee Council will, over the coming months and in cooperation with the local organisation Nusaned, provide hot meals, food parcels and essential relief items to internally displaced people living in official shelters, particularly families with children, older people and persons with disabilities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is supporting the Estonian Refugee Council’s activities in Lebanon with €53,000, enabling assistance to reach 1,100 vulnerable people in Lebanon who have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict.

According to Eero Janson, Director of the Estonian Refugee Council, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains extremely difficult despite the fragile ceasefire. “More than 2,500 people have been killed in the conflict, over 8,000 injured, and more than one million people – approximately one fifth of the country’s population – have been forced to flee their homes,” said Janson.

Janson noted that displacement is most widespread in southern Lebanon, where insecurity and movement restrictions continue to severely disrupt daily life. At the same time, difficulties in meeting basic needs are deepening as prices rise and opportunities to earn an income decline.

The military conflict in Lebanon escalated in early March 2026 as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah intensified, leading to large-scale airstrikes on Lebanese territory. A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since 16 April and was extended for three weeks on 23 April, although both parties have violated it since it came into effect.

While some Lebanese families have started returning home under the fragile ceasefire, nearly 120,000 people continue to live in temporary shelters, including schools, other public buildings, tented settlements and informal shelters. Many shelters are overcrowded, and many people have no homes to return to because they have been destroyed in attacks. The shelter system remains overwhelmed, with many people lacking access to stable accommodation, essential services and increasingly even clean drinking water.

The Estonian Refugee Council has been active in Lebanon since 2018.

The Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) is a rights-based humanitarian organisation. Established in 2000, the Estonian Refugee Council has grown to become the largest humanitarian organisation in the Baltics. ERC works and has presence in six countries: Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Ukraine. ERC provides immediate assistance in emergencies and supports crisis-affected people in rebuilding their lives. Donate on the Estonian Refugee Council´s website to help us provide critical aid to those in urgent need.