Humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile despite ceasefire
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight on 16 April. On 23 April, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the ceasefire would be extended for an additional three weeks, following a second high-level trilateral meeting between representatives of Israel, the United States and Lebanon.
Following the announcement of the ceasefire, both the Israeli military and Hezbollah called on displaced populations not to return immediately to areas south of the Litani River.
The humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile and unpredictable, with a continued risk of conflict escalation and military operations in the south of the country.
UNRWA launched its emergency response in Lebanon on 4 March. As of 21 April, it operates two emergency shelters in Siblin and Nahr el-Bared Camp in south and Lebanon.
By 28 April, a total of 951 displaced people (274 families) were registered in the two UNRWA emergency shelters, reflecting a substantial decrease compared to 1,337 people recorded last week. This is mainly due to the extension of the ceasefire and subsequent population returns.
Between 22 and 28 April, no security incidents affecting on-duty UNRWA personnel or facilities were reported.
By 27 April, the Ministry of Social Affairs had documented the displacement of over 1.1 million individuals, including 114,534 people in 616 shelters.
More than 321,000 people have crossed into Syria since 2 March, including over 1,200 Palestine Refugees from Syria who had fled to Lebanon in the past.
Following the three-week extension of the ceasefire announced on 23 April, gradual returns to Palestine Refugee camps have resumed. Some families have left their belongings in previous displacement locations as a precaution, while others have returned to the initial displacement locations after "go-and-see" visits, or relocated to different areas. Tracking returns remains challenging given the fluidity of movement.
As of 28 April, 818 displaced persons were recorded at the emergency shelter at the Siblin Training Centre, while 133 individuals were recorded at Battir emergency shelter in Nahr el-Bared Camp.
On 26 April, Israeli authorities issued evacuation orders for seven villages north of the Litani River area, alongside continued orders requiring residents of southern Lebanon to avoid approaching areas near the border with Israel and to stay away from the Litani River area.
In coordination with UNICEF, the National Institution of Social Care and Vocational Training (NISCVT), also known as Beit Atfal Assumoud, serves as the main partner at the Battir emergency shelter in Nahr el-Bared Camp.
The Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts (ARCPA), also known as Al-Jana, serves as the main partner at the Siblin emergency shelter.
Of the two additional shelters operated by the local partner Nabaa in UNRWA schools, both the Nablus shelter and Rafidia shelter in Saida Area have returned to operating as schools since 26 April.
UNRWA maintains close coordination with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the Cooperazione Internazionale Fondazione (COOPI), as well as UNHCR and their implementing partners. During the reporting period, COOPI delivered seven shelter cleaning kits and 1,540 hygiene kits to UNRWA.
The community kitchen at Siblin shelter has been open since 1 April, in partnership with INITIATE-the Community Organization for Development and Empowerment, and co-funded by UN Women.
The Women’s Programs Association has been operating a kitchen at the UNRWA Battir shelter since 3 April.
In parallel, UNRWA is maintaining operational coordination with other partners including IOM, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, NRC, ICRC, COOPI, ACF, Terre des Hommes Italy, Save the Children, DanChurchAid, Basmeh & Zeitooneh, ANERA, Mousawat, Najdeh, Tadamon, Soufra (Makani), Taawon (Welfare Association), Nashet, and the Community-Based Rehabilitation Association (CBRA).
As of 28 April, UNRWA maintained stocks of non-food items, including 1,099 mattresses, 4,796 pillows, 9,500 plastic cups, 1,100 jerrycans, 219 fire extinguishers, 2,190 protective vests, 55 gas burners, 154 cooking pots, various kitchen utensils, and equipment, and 290,000 aluminium foil sheets. A large portion of these supplies is prepositioned in UNRWA’s decentralised warehouses near the shelters.
UNRWA teams dispatched 15,000 aluminium foil sheets, 40 rechargeable lights and 12 jars of zinc oxide cream to treat infant diaper rash to Siblin emergency shelter, along with an additional 60 jars of zinc oxide cream to Battir emergency shelter.
A further 825 liters of water were delivered to Siblin emergency shelter.
Health
As of 28 April, 20 out of 26 UNRWA primary health centres and clinics across Lebanon were operational. Due to the security situation five clinics remain closed (Adloun, Shabriha, Maashouk, Qasmieh, and Kfar Badda), while one clinic (Shatila Camp) was closed only on 28 April.
A mobile clinic in Siblin emergency shelter remains operational. Health staff from closed clinics, as well as those who have themselves been displaced, are being redeployed as needed to ensure continuity of services.
Family Health Teams (FHTs) continued to rotate through Tyre Area camps (El Buss, Rashidieh, Burj El Shemali) when security conditions allowed.
UNRWA’s central pharmacy continues to distribute medicines to all operational clinics.
Since the start of the emergency, UNRWA has provided 96,629 medical consultations at UNRWA operational clinics, including 10,758 for displaced persons and 85,871 for non-displaced persons. Another 1,753 consultations have been provided at the two UNRWA emergency shelters.
No disease outbreaks in the shelters have been reported to date.
Hospitalisation for conflict-related injuries is covered by the Ministry of Public Health and the ICRC.
Education
The UNRWA Education Programme Emergency Preparedness and Continuity Plan has been in effect since 10 March, aligned with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE).
By 28 April, all 60 UNRWA schools were operational, with 38 offering in-person learning and 22 operating remotely.
At UNRWA’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre at the Siblin Training Centre, south campus students are currently attending remotely as the campus has been turned into an emergency shelter, while north campus students are attending in-person.
As of 28 April, attendance rates are 90 per cent for in-person learning and 63 per cent for remote learning. On the same day, three schools that had previously been operating remotely resumed in-person classes following the ceasefire.
Security assessments are ongoing in schools affected by the conflict, which are currently operating remotely, to check for unexploded ordnance before reopening in person. Remote learning will continue until security risk management assessments are finalised and operations can safely resume.
Remote learning focuses on core subjects (numeracy, literacy, sciences), while in-person schools deliver the full curriculum. UNRWA distributed essential learning materials to support both remote and in-person education. Guidance for remote teaching and learning has been developed to support teachers in delivering effective remote education.
During the reporting period, 13,623 students (7,084 girls and 6,539 boys) received at least one psychosocial support activity delivered by 40 school counsellors.
Psychosocial support and recreational activities in the two emergency shelters are provided by Al-Jana in Siblin and Beit Atfal Assumoud in Battir. During the reporting period, Al-Jana reached 72 children with psychosocial support activities, while Beit Atfal Assumoud provided psychosocial support activities to 62 children, alongside youth empowerment sessions to 54 adolescents and youth and parenting-focused sessions to 28 caregivers.
- Protection -
By 28 April, a total of 407 children had registered in UNRWA’s shelters (189 boys and 218 girls).
During the reporting period, 145 displaced persons were reached through Explosive Ordnance Risk Education awareness sessions at Siblin emergency shelter, while 60 sanitation laborers participated in similar sessions at Battir emergency shelter. In addition, more than 250 flyers on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education were distributed in all operational health clinics.
Since the onset of the conflict, UNRWA’s Social Work teams in Battir and Siblin shelters have continued providing psychosocial support, psychosocial first aid, family and individual interventions, and case management, reaching 1,218 displaced persons (925 females and 93 males). These activities aim to reduce community tensions and strengthen emotional well-being and coping capacities
During the reporting period, UNRWA’s Social Work teams conducted eight awareness raising sessions on hygiene promotion, child protection, rights and duties within the shelter, child safety, and the prevention of drug use. In Siblin shelter, four sessions reached 118 participants (81 women and 37 men), while four sessions in Battir shelter reached 80 participants (30 women and 50 men).
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene -
As of 28 April, UNRWA continued to provide basic and lifesaving sanitation services across all 12 Palestine Refugee camps in Lebanon, including solid waste collection and water pumping. All 74 water wells are operational.
Water and sanitation services continue to operate across all areas, including the south, Bekaa and southern suburbs, with no interruption in water supply. However, systems remain under pressure due to sustained high demand in Saida and northern camps, requiring increased pumping hours to meet the needs of both residents and displaced people.
Key challenges persist, including fuel sustainability and high dependence on generators, particularly in Burj El Shemali, where damage to the main transformer has increased reliance on generators and led to higher diesel consumption. Transporting fuel to affected areas, particularly in the south, continues to be challenging due to damaged roads and infrastructure.
Maintenance and repair works continue at the two emergency shelters, addressing issues related to water systems, pumps, and hot water systems.
Solid waste collection and disposal continued across all camps. However, operations remained constrained by access limitations, security concerns, and the reduced availability of sanitation laborers. In Burj El Shemali, UNRWA has started moving accumulated waste from the temporary storage locations to the designated final dumping site. During the reporting period, the team removed approximately 168 tons per day from all camps.
- Food assistance -
UNRWA continues to provide ready-to-eat food parcels and two hot meals a day to displaced people sheltering in its two emergency shelters. UNRWA operates community kitchens in both shelters, with support from the Women’s Programs Association in Battir emergency shelter and INITIATE-the Community Organization for Development and Empowerment in Siblin emergency shelter.
During the reporting period, UNRWA distributed 2 ready-to-eat kits, 7,719 hot meals, 6,380 cold meals and 1,850 bread packs through partners, including WFP, Anera, the SHEILD Association, Basmeh & Zeitooneh, Siblin Municipality, the Women’s Programs Association, and the local organization Nashet.
Source: Naharnet
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