Concern launched a response in Lebanon following the influx of Syrian refugees and both their needs as well as those of the host communities. Our work has since expanded to include education and psychosocial support, livelihoods building, and gender equality.
“Concern is helping me by giving me valuable embroidery training. I’m learning new skills every day. I would like to open a small embroidery and sewing business.”
— Lama*, Syrian refugee and Lebanon program participant
Concern became operational in Lebanon in 2013 following a massive influx of refugees from Syria. We have been responding ever since to the increasing humanitarian needs of the estimated 1.5 million vulnerable Syrian refugees and the overstretched local host communities.
Since 2020, we have increased our work in Lebanon not only to respond to the threat of COVID-19, but also to the August 2020 explosion in Beirut.
*We are currently responding to the threat of COVID-19 in Lebanon. Find out more about our response here.
Lebanon is already home to almost 7 million people. With the war in Syria now in its tenth year, the country’s population has expanded by nearly 25% with approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
Many are competing with vulnerable Lebanese for affordable housing, decent work, and services. The worsening economic crisis, combined with COVID-19 and the August 2020 explosion in Beirut, has forced families to make difficult decisions to survive. Many families are falling deeper into debt as livelihood opportunities are decreasing dramatically, and public and private services fail to respond to people’s needs. This leads families to adopt negative strategies such as child labour, child marriage, and reduced food consumption.
As of June 2020, Concern’s COVID-19 response reached 3,098 individuals through awareness-raising sessions and distribution of hygiene kits. Concern also rehabilitated an isolation facility for COVID-19 cases.
In 2019, 2,261 adults and children benefited from Engaging Men and Women and psychosocial-support sessions. Since Lebanon’s COVID-19 outbreak, Concern’s Case Management Team provides remote support to Child Protection and GBV cases.
In 2019, Concern supported 2,311 Syrian and Lebanese through its Livelihood interventions, which fell into the following categories: agricultural production, cooperative and MSMEs support, TVET, and decent work awareness-raising
Our work in Lebanon serves both Syrian refugees and Lebanese nationals, focusing on shelter, access to water, livelihood generation, education and psychosocial support, and — more recently — responses to both COVID-19 and the 2020 explosion in Beirut. Every program includes the intersectional themes of protection, equality, and inclusion.
© 2023 Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc
© 2023 Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc
