Oxfam is responding to the escalating crisis in Lebanon, providing essential support to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been forced to flee as Israeli airstrikes bombard their homes and communities. The influx of internally displaced people, primarily from southern Lebanon, will quickly create disastrous conditions for local communities, beyond the ability of an overloaded international humanitarian system to properly meet.
Oxfam and our partners are supporting internally displaced people in shelters in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon with clean water and sanitation, emergency cash, food, and hygiene and menstrual hygiene kits.
Oxfam Ireland CEO, Jim Clarken, said this escalation in violence is the result of a failure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza:
“Sadly, this turn of events was predictable and entirely avoidable. Israel has been acting with impunity and the spread of hostilities into Lebanon underpins the increasingly urgent need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in both Gaza and now also in Lebanon. With the ramping up of action in the region, the international community, including Ireland, must double down on efforts to bring about stability and a cessation of violence."
“The people of Lebanon have seen decade after decade of crises. With our longstanding relationship with Lebanon through our peacekeeping missions, Ireland has shown solidarity with the region in harrowing times. The Irish government must reflect this special relationship, condemn the recent actions, and speak out on the international stage in the strongest terms, instigating a unified and bold demand for a peaceful solution.
“International humanitarian law must prevail, and Israel needs to be held to account for its actions in both Lebanon and Gaza. It’s time to call a halt to what appear to be indiscriminate attacks, and to ensure safe passage for humanitarian agencies tasked with the urgent priority of bringing vital aid into the region.”
Oxfam has worked in Lebanon since 1993, in partnership with local organisations, to support disadvantaged people with cash, clean water, and proper sanitation, as well as income generating opportunities, advocating for women’s rights and reproductive health services, and renewable energy solutions.
We also work with Syrian and Palestinian refugees, as well as Lebanese communities, including people with disabilities+ and migrant workers.
We work with 30 local partner organisations in North Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut who deeply understand the needs of the communities they are part of.
Over the past decade, we have responded to the multiple crises Lebanon has faced, including the Syria crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut Blast, the Economic crisis, the 2022 cholera outbreak, and violent conflicts.
Oxfam and our partners are supporting internally displaced people in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon. May Achour, Oxfam in Lebanon Senior Communications Officer, gives an update on the situation in a collective shelter in Beirut.
“Sadly, this turn of events was predictable and entirely avoidable. Israel has been acting with impunity and the spread of hostilities into Lebanon underpins the increasingly urgent need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in both Gaza and now also in Lebanon. With the ramping up of action in the region, the international community, including Ireland, must double down on efforts to bring about stability and a cessation of violence."
