Common Donor Messages on the Cash Response to the Escalation of Hostilities in Lebanon

he severe escalation of conflict in Lebanon since September 2024, resulted in a dreadful death toll, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the mass displacement of people. Many sought refuge in collective shelters, primarily repurposed public schools while others fled across the border to Syria. Following the ceasefire on 27 November 2024, internally displaced people began to return, though the permanence of these returns remains uncertain. This unprecedented scale of displacement exacerbates Lebanon’s existing crises including a severe economic and financial crisis, widespread poverty and the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.

Cash assistance has historically been central to humanitarian responses in Lebanon. With significant investments in systems, capacities and sensitisation enabling the delivery of cash programming at scale. This increasingly complex and rapidly evolving crisis requires all stakeholders to build upon the existing foundations, including national social protection systems, to collectively address the humanitarian needs of affected people in a coordinated and people-centred manner.