IOM aims to support and protect the most vulnerable individuals across Lebanon, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), migrants, refugees, and local community members, against mounting humanitarian needs and socioeconomic hardship stemming from conflict and multidimensional crises. To address the complex mobility dynamics within this crisis, IOM will focus on providing life-saving humanitarian and protection assistance, building community resilience against rising tensions, and working to promote regular, dignified and safe migration, through proactive measures across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

5.5, High |
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4.2, Very high |
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Since 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with complex and multifaceted crises, further compounded by the escalation in conflict in September 2024 following increased hostilities across the southern border since October 2023. According to the World Bank, Lebanon's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth was cut by an estimated 6.6 per cent in 2024 as a result of the conflict, with economic losses estimated at USD 5.1 billion, bringing the cumulative decline in real GDP since 2019 to more than 38 per cent by the end of the year. The complex multi-faceted crisis has strained Lebanon’s institutions, infrastructure, and economy, leading to rising poverty and a collapse of public services, disproportionally affecting vulnerable Lebanese and other groups, including the 1.5 million Syrian refugee population and approximately 176,504 migrants, 70 per cent of whom are women.
At the height of the conflict escalation in October 2024, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) identified an estimated 899,725 IDPs across Lebanon, many in urgent need of food, shelter, water, sanitation, and protection. Migrants and refugees are among the vulnerable internally displaced who face heightened protection risks, such as gender-based violence (GBV), loss of legal documentation and livelihood means, worsening their physical and psychosocial well-being. Women and girls, in particular, are at greater risk of exploitation and violence, while displaced children and the elderly experience limited access to essential services, heightening their vulnerabilities and exacerbating their suffering.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with complex and multifaceted crises, further compounded by the escalation in conflict in September 2024 following increased hostilities across the southern border since October 2023. According to the World Bank, Lebanon's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth was cut by an estimated 6.6 per cent in 2024 as a result of the conflict, with economic losses estimated at USD 5.1 billion, bringing the cumulative decline in real GDP since 2019 to more than 38 per cent by the end of the year. The complex multi-faceted crisis has strained Lebanon’s institutions, infrastructure, and economy, leading to rising poverty and a collapse of public services, disproportionally affecting vulnerable Lebanese and other groups, including the 1.5 million Syrian refugee population and approximately 176,504 migrants, 70 per cent of whom are women.
At the height of the conflict escalation in October 2024, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) identified an estimated 899,725 IDPs across Lebanon, many in urgent need of food, shelter, water, sanitation, and protection. Migrants and refugees are among the vulnerable internally displaced who face heightened protection risks, such as gender-based violence (GBV), loss of legal documentation and livelihood means, worsening their physical and psychosocial well-being. Women and girls, in particular, are at greater risk of exploitation and violence, while displaced children and the elderly experience limited access to essential services, heightening their vulnerabilities and exacerbating their suffering.
Despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect in November 2024, Lebanon’s situation remains highly volatile, with significant needs among IDPs and those seeking to return to their locations of origin. Population movements remain fluid as communities cautiously navigate ongoing uncertainties. As of 6 February 2025, 890,830 individuals have returned to their communities, while 98,986 are displaced, including 2,367 living in 33 collective sites. This figure includes those recently displaced due to escalating armed clashes near the Lebanese-Syrian border in Baalbeck-El Hermel, as well as individuals forced to flee partially damaged homes amid worsening winter conditions, further compounding Lebanon’s displacement crisis.
Although most returns occurred by early January 2025, they should be viewed as temporary rather than permanent given current uncertainties. Those still displaced are unable to return due to ongoing instability, leaving them at risk of prolonged displacement. Further, a 2024 World Bank assessment estimated USD 3.4 billion in physical damage as a result of conflict, with 81 per cent concentrated in southern Lebanon. Many IDP returnees find their homes destroyed, and the presence of unexploded ordnance and remnants of war poses significant safety risks, particularly in southern Lebanon and in Beirut’s southern suburbs. As of February 2025, access to more than 60 localities in southern Lebanon remains restricted. In addition, following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, 130,921 Syrians have entered Lebanon by land, as of 5 February 2025. Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis, political instability, and declining employment opportunities have driven many Lebanese and Syrians, particularly youth, to seek better prospects abroad. However, limited access to regular migration pathways has contributed to a rise in irregular migration, often exposing migrants to exploitation, human trafficking, and dangerous journeys by sea. The worsening socioeconomic conditions, coupled with weakened state institutions and aggravating impacts of climate change, have exacerbated vulnerabilities, making the need for safe and legal migration alternatives more urgent than ever.
As a member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), IOM fosters robust coordination with partner agencies, including UN agencies, international and local organizations, civil society and government stakeholders, avoiding duplication of efforts and promoting synergy across all sectors to maximize the impact of humanitarian interventions. IOM participates in key humanitarian coordination mechanisms at both national and sub-national levels within the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP). IOM co-chairs the Site Management and Coordination Sector and coordinates migrant assistance within the Migrant Working Group under the Protection Sector. In addition, IOM is an active member of the Protection; Shelter; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Stabilization; Livelihoods and Health Sectors, as well as the Durable Solutions Working Group and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Working Group/Task Force. IOM also co-leads the Protection Mainstreaming Task Force and is part of the Protection Core Working Group within the Protection Sector, where agencies discuss strategic priorities and technical guidance. Age, gender, and diversity are integrated into all discussions. Recognizing the urgency of addressing GBV in the ongoing humanitarian crisis, IOM actively participates in the monthly GBV Working Group to focus on prevention, response and awareness. Furthermore, IOM works closely with the Government of Lebanon, the Humanitarian Coordinator, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and partners within the LRP coordination structure, to support the overall response.
IOM maintains strong partnerships with national stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment, the Disaster Risk Management Unit (DRM) under the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Ministry of Public Health, the Lebanese Armed Forces and local municipalities. These collaborations ensure a coordinated and effective approach to addressing humanitarian and socio-economic needs.
IOM, in its role as the lead of the Migrant Working Group, collaborates closely with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) through the UN Network on Migration to tackle migration challenges and optimize the benefits of migration in Lebanon. Their efforts aim to integrate migration and displacement into Lebanon’s development frameworks, such as the LRP an
As a member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), IOM fosters robust coordination with partner agencies, including UN agencies, international and local organizations, civil society and government stakeholders, avoiding duplication of efforts and promoting synergy across all sectors to maximize the impact of humanitarian interventions. IOM participates in key humanitarian coordination mechanisms at both national and sub-national levels within the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP). IOM co-chairs the Site Management and Coordination Sector and coordinates migrant assistance within the Migrant Working Group under the Protection Sector. In addition, IOM is an active member of the Protection; Shelter; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Stabilization; Livelihoods and Health Sectors, as well as the Durable Solutions Working Group and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Working Group/Task Force. IOM also co-leads the Protection Mainstreaming Task Force and is part of the Protection Core Working Group within the Protection Sector, where agencies discuss strategic priorities and technical guidance. Age, gender, and diversity are integrated into all discussions. Recognizing the urgency of addressing GBV in the ongoing humanitarian crisis, IOM actively participates in the monthly GBV Working Group to focus on prevention, response and awareness. Furthermore, IOM works closely with the Government of Lebanon, the Humanitarian Coordinator, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and partners within the LRP coordination structure, to support the overall response.
IOM maintains strong partnerships with national stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment, the Disaster Risk Management Unit (DRM) under the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Ministry of Public Health, the Lebanese Armed Forces and local municipalities. These collaborations ensure a coordinated and effective approach to addressing humanitarian and socio-economic needs.
IOM, in its role as the lead of the Migrant Working Group, collaborates closely with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) through the UN Network on Migration to tackle migration challenges and optimize the benefits of migration in Lebanon. Their efforts aim to integrate migration and displacement into Lebanon’s development frameworks, such as the LRP and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2025. This coordination ensures that human mobility is addressed alongside broader socioeconomic issues, focusing on the rights and well-being of migrants and displaced populations. In addition, IOM Lebanon is part of the multi-country Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF) programme, which addresses the complex intersections of climate change, health, disasters, and migration. Implemented jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), this initiative aims to strengthen resilience and promote sustainable, coordinated responses to these interconnected challenges.
IOM Lebanon demonstrates strong implementation capacity, supported by its institutional experience as the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and in-country presence. Established in 2006, IOM Lebanon has a proven record of providing frontline services to crisis-affected populations, while advancing models and partnerships for longer-term recovery and migration governance. The Lebanon Mission currently employs IOM staff, consultants and daily workers with offices in Beirut, North Lebanon (Tripoli) and the Beqaa Valley (Chtoura) supporting IOM’s nationwide programming. IOM DTM also has a network of 50 enumerators and 1,500 key informants contributing to nationwide data collection on mobility in partnership with the national Disaster Risk Management Unit. IOM operates across all frameworks, supporting diverse populations in Lebanon, and has experience in emergency response across the country, ensuring an inclusive approach. With a strong focus on gender-responsive programming, IOM also strengthens capacity to meaningfully engage with women and girls, ensuring their voices, needs, and leadership are integral to humanitarian and development efforts. In close coordination with OCHA, IOM is well-positioned to play a leading role in addressing the evolving needs of remaining IDPs, host communities, returning IDPs and other vulnerable populations in the country.
IOM Lebanon’s crisis response activities are comprehensive and structured around eight priority areas where IOM has proven implementation capacity:
- Emergency response and basic assistance, including providing core relief items, cash support, and delivering protection services.
- Shelter and camp coordination and management, including delivering emergency shelter kits and materials, WASH support and supporting coordination as co-lead of the Site Management and Coordination Sector.
- Health, including primary and secondary healthcare such as transportation assistance and advanced healthcare coverage, medical consultation, pre-departure screening, specialized services, and diaspora engagement.
- Data and research, including displacement tracking, migrant presence and protection monitoring, multi-sectoral needs assessments and irregular migration research.
- Provision of protection services to crisis-affected populations including case management, legal services, cash for protection, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
IOM Lebanon demonstrates strong implementation capacity, supported by its institutional experience as the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and in-country presence. Established in 2006, IOM Lebanon has a proven record of providing frontline services to crisis-affected populations, while advancing models and partnerships for longer-term recovery and migration governance. The Lebanon Mission currently employs IOM staff, consultants and daily workers with offices in Beirut, North Lebanon (Tripoli) and the Beqaa Valley (Chtoura) supporting IOM’s nationwide programming. IOM DTM also has a network of 50 enumerators and 1,500 key informants contributing to nationwide data collection on mobility in partnership with the national Disaster Risk Management Unit. IOM operates across all frameworks, supporting diverse populations in Lebanon, and has experience in emergency response across the country, ensuring an inclusive approach. With a strong focus on gender-responsive programming, IOM also strengthens capacity to meaningfully engage with women and girls, ensuring their voices, needs, and leadership are integral to humanitarian and development efforts. In close coordination with OCHA, IOM is well-positioned to play a leading role in addressing the evolving needs of remaining IDPs, host communities, returning IDPs and other vulnerable populations in the country.
IOM Lebanon’s crisis response activities are comprehensive and structured around eight priority areas where IOM has proven implementation capacity:
- Emergency response and basic assistance, including providing core relief items, cash support, and delivering protection services.
- Shelter and camp coordination and management, including delivering emergency shelter kits and materials, WASH support and supporting coordination as co-lead of the Site Management and Coordination Sector.
- Health, including primary and secondary healthcare such as transportation assistance and advanced healthcare coverage, medical consultation, pre-departure screening, specialized services, and diaspora engagement.
- Data and research, including displacement tracking, migrant presence and protection monitoring, multi-sectoral needs assessments and irregular migration research.
- Provision of protection services to crisis-affected populations including case management, legal services, cash for protection, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
- Humanitarian border management, including enhancing national search and rescue services and strengthening border control capacities to assist crisis-affected populations, both nationals and non-nationals, in need of crossing the border during a humanitarian crisis.
- Community stabilization and livelihoods through community-based planning, inclusive dialogues, and economic development, including assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), vocational skills training, business development mentorship, and cash-for-work initiatives.
- Complementary protection pathways, such as family reunification, labour complementary pathways, and education pathways, as well as pre-departure orientation activities.
IOM, in coordination with the Government of Lebanon and through its work within the relevant sectors, continues to maintain a high level of preparedness given the fluid context in Lebanon and the volatility in the region.
IOM works closely with the Government of Lebanon to deliver critical support to those most in need and help steer national efforts back onto a sustainable development path. Specifically, IOM will contribute to: (i) addressing the immediate humanitarian and protection needs of the most vulnerable populations in Lebanon; (ii) building resilience among people on the move and host communities, particularly those in vulnerable situations; and (iii) strengthening Lebanese institutions and systems to foster effective migration governance. In 2025, IOM will continue to promote intra- and inter-sectoral collaboration with the government at the local, national, and regional levels. These efforts aim to support timely and coordinated emergency response initiatives across Lebanon. Key partners include the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health, among other Ministries. IOM also participates in the government’s coordination platform, overseen by the Prime Minister's Office, and is a member of the Emergency Operations Cells established by the Ministry of Public Health. IOM’s emergency response is underpinned by well-established coordination with national stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment, the DRM under the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Ministry of Public Health, the Lebanese Armed Forces and local municipalities. In addition, IOM collaborates with the General Security Directorate, municipalities, local stakeholders and the Ministry of Public Health to strengthen emergency response capacity in relation to disease surveillance, search and rescue, and disasters.












IOM Lebanon's localization approach focuses on strengthening the capacity of local actors to lead and manage humanitarian responses, ensuring that support is more relevant, effective, and sustainable. By partnering with local government, including at district and municipality level, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community-based organizations, IOM aims to empower Lebanese institutions and communities to take ownership of crisis response and recovery efforts. This approach enhances local resilience, supports the integration of displaced and migrant populations, and fosters long-term solutions tailored to the needs of affected communities. IOM will also ensure that assistance reaches the most vulnerable, promoting the sustainability of interventions beyond immediate humanitarian aid.
As the lead agency in the Migrant Working Group, and co-lead of the Site Management and Site Coordination Sector, IOM also encourages local partners to participate and lead the response in close coordination with the Sector.
IOM Lebanon's localization approach focuses on strengthening the capacity of local actors to lead and manage humanitarian responses, ensuring that support is more relevant, effective, and sustainable. By partnering with local government, including at district and municipality level, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community-based organizations, IOM aims to empower Lebanese institutions and communities to take ownership of crisis response and recovery efforts. This approach enhances local resilience, supports the integration of displaced and migrant populations, and fosters long-term solutions tailored to the needs of affected communities. IOM will also ensure that assistance reaches the most vulnerable, promoting the sustainability of interventions beyond immediate humanitarian aid.
As the lead agency in the Migrant Working Group, and co-lead of the Site Management and Site Coordination Sector, IOM also encourages local partners to participate and lead the response in close coordination with the Sector. IOM supports local partners in resource mobilization, including assisting with funding applications through the Lebanon Response Plan, to further strengthen their capacity and ownership in the ongoing efforts. Underpinning localization, IOM implements a community and area-based approach which allows responses to be designed, implemented, and monitored around the local context, enabling greater agency among local communities, vulnerable and marginalized populations, local authorities, and members of civil society. This approach empowers communities, strengthens support networks, and fosters better recovery outcomes. IOM is committed to streamlining this approach across its multi-sectoral responses to maximize impact, address vulnerabilities and build resilience among crisis-affected communities. IOM recognizes the critical role of women-led and women’s rights organizations (WLOs/WROs) in humanitarian, recovery and development responses and is committed to enhancing their engagement as part of its localization approach. As first responders, grassroots organizations, particularly those led by women, bring expertise, access, and contextual understanding to crisis-affected communities. To strengthen this commitment, IOM prioritizes the inclusion of WLOs/WROs in programme design, implementation, and decision-making processes. This includes targeted selection of local partners, capacity strengthening initiatives, and ensuring that funding mechanisms are accessible to underfunded and community-based women-led organizations. As part of its reporting framework, IOM will continue to track and report on the engagement of WLOs/WROs, ensuring accountability to its commitments and fostering a more equitable and effective humanitarian response.
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Objective 1Saving lives
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Objective 2Solutions to displacement
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Objective 3Pathways for regular migration
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

Through comprehensive multisectoral humanitarian interventions, IOM aims to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and uphold the dignity of IDPs, migrants, refugees, and host communities. This support will be implemented through the provision of a range of short-term emergency interventions including: provision of core relief items, WASH, health, shelter, protection (including GBV risk mitigation), mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), early recovery, cash-based support and movement assistance through the evacuation of stranded migrants to areas of safety and countries of origin to ensure their immediate safety and well-being. Through these efforts, IOM seeks to reduce threats and vulnerabilities while reinforcing community resilience. In addition, IOM will contribute to enhancing the broader quality of humanitarian assistance through coordination efforts in its role in Site Management and Coordination and support evidence-based responses through IOM’s DTM, which produces and disseminates critical multi-layered information on the mobility, vulnerabilities, and needs of displaced populations, enabling decision-makers and responders to provide more context-specific assistance. IOM will also enhance humanitarian border management by addressing transnational crimes, protecting migrants, and strengthening government capacities in search-and-rescue operations and migration governance.
Driving solutions to displacement

IOM Lebanon aims to build the resilience of crisis-affected populations, including displaced populations as a result of the conflict. Key interventions focus on community stabilization, peacebuilding, debris removal and reconstruction, as well as disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, protection, and MHPSS activities. IOM promotes sustainable solutions to displacement and addresses its underlying drivers, by promoting self-reliance, addressing barriers to services, and expanding livelihoods opportunities through business grants, cash-for-work programmes, and vocational skills training. To enhance stabilization, IOM collaborates with municipalities, local businesses, schools, government ministries, social development centres, and healthcare facilities, as well as engaging with diaspora networks with the aim of strengthening local governance, improving public infrastructure, and fostering social cohesion. To strengthen community preparedness and resilience against disasters, IOM Lebanon will improve the evidence base and enhance local capacity to minimize, avert and address disaster risks and impacts of climate change. Recognizing that empowered communities are key to resilience, IOM will focus on climate adaptation planning, identifying sustainable livelihoods and promoting economic independence through job creation, skill development, and market-driven livelihood opportunities. To scale up support for safe, dignified, and voluntary return movements to Syria and promote durable solutions, IOM stands ready to provide movement assistance for affected populations considering voluntary return, in alignment with the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan. A community-based approach remains central to all IOM interventions, ensuring that stabilization efforts are inclusive, sustainable, and tailored to the needs of affected populations. To maximize impact, IOM ensures that local community planning and programming are closely aligned with national development plans and sector strategies, promoting a cohesive and sustainable approach to displacement.
In addition, IOM will implement a conflict-sensitive approach, prioritizing the most vulnerable populations and ensuring positive outcomes while adhering to the principle of Do-No-Harm.
Facilitating pathways for regular migration

IOM is committed to maximizing the benefits of migration by supporting the development of well-managed and well-governed migration policies and services at both national and local levels, fostering long-term recovery and strengthening migration governance, through a whole-of-government approach. Addressing the mobility dimensions of crisis is a critical component of good migration governance. IOM Lebanon focuses on supporting vulnerable populations through long-term protection solutions such as assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) for stranded migrants, in line with relevant institutional guidelines. Recognizing instability as a driver of irregular migration, IOM will expand access to regular pathways through strengthening labour migration opportunities, skills development, job matching, vocational training and migration planning. This will be complemented by the promotion of ethical recruitment practices for both government and private sectors, along with close collaboration with government officials on migration governance, legal frameworks, and best practices for managing regular migration pathways. IOM further aims to expand these regular migration channels for Lebanese nationals, particularly by linking Lebanese youth to safe, regular migration opportunities, such as talent visas, and university scholarships. IOM also focuses on capacity-strengthening for frontline workers to address the psychosocial needs of vulnerable migrants, integrating MHPSS services into reintegration processes. IOM also strengthens health initiatives such as the National Tuberculosis and AIDS control programmes and engages with the Ministry of Public Health to enhance diaspora outreach.
Percentage of funding required contributing to the long term outcomes expressed on IOM's Strategic Results Framework.
IOM is committed to ensuring a do-no-harm approach, prioritizing the safety and well-being of affected populations across operations. IOM adopts a conflict-sensitive approach to all stages of programming and mainstreams protection measures to mitigate potential harm. In addition, IOM emphasizes gender equality, protection of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), GBV risk mitigation and child protection mainstreaming considerations across all operations to uphold the rights and dignity of those it serves. To do this, IOM will engage protection, PSEA and GBV experts, as well as service providers, to ensure that humanitarian, recovery, peacebuilding and development interventions are planned and delivered safely. These efforts will be coordinated with the Protection Sector and led by IOM’s PSEA and accountability to affected populations (AAP) staff. IOM will also promote accountability by enabling communities to access complaints and feedback mechanisms, participate actively and engage in decision-making about assistance and services, and receive timely and relevant information.
IOM is committed to ensuring a do-no-harm approach, prioritizing the safety and well-being of affected populations across operations. IOM adopts a conflict-sensitive approach to all stages of programming and mainstreams protection measures to mitigate potential harm. In addition, IOM emphasizes gender equality, protection of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), GBV risk mitigation and child protection mainstreaming considerations across all operations to uphold the rights and dignity of those it serves. To do this, IOM will engage protection, PSEA and GBV experts, as well as service providers, to ensure that humanitarian, recovery, peacebuilding and development interventions are planned and delivered safely. These efforts will be coordinated with the Protection Sector and led by IOM’s PSEA and accountability to affected populations (AAP) staff. IOM will also promote accountability by enabling communities to access complaints and feedback mechanisms, participate actively and engage in decision-making about assistance and services, and receive timely and relevant information. In addition, IOM Lebanon collaborates closely with partners and actively engages in AAP inter-agency coordination structures to enhance collective accountability efforts, ensure a coordinated response, and strengthen community engagement across humanitarian, recovery, peacebuilding and development interventions. IOM will further strengthen human rights risk management and compliance by integrating risk assessments into the planning process through the application of the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP). This includes monitoring key risk indicators and ensuring adherence to internal regulations and donor requirements. By doing so, IOM will help uphold the protection and rights of migrants and displaced populations, while ensuring that its response remains effective, accountable, and responsive to the needs of affected populations.


Data for action, insight and foresight Priority
IOM Lebanon will conduct research and data activities to improve knowledge of migration trends and monitor displacement and return dynamics in Lebanon. As the primary source of internal displacement data in the country, DTM not only ensures high standards of data quality and protection but also strengthens IOM’s analytical capacity to transform data into actionable insights. By integrating research with analysis, IOM enables evidence-based decision-making, enhancing service delivery and ensuring that humanitarian and development responses remains targeted, effective and responsive to evolving needs.
Key activities will include:
- Conducting Migrant Presence Monitoring (MPM).
- Contributing to Multisector Needs Assessments.
- Researching drivers and trends of irregular migration to inform IOM programming, aligned with IOM's Global Data Institute (GDI) priorities.
- Conducting a recurrent Intention Survey with IDPs to guide humanitarian planning and response.
- Regularly monitoring protection issues among migrant communities in Lebanon, in cooperation with the Migrant Sector and NGO partners.
- Monitoring and analyzing cross-border population movements.

Health Priority
IOM will deliver healthcare services to diverse populations, including IDPs, refugees, migrants and vulnerable Lebanese communities. In partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, IOM aims to build inclusive, migrant-friendly healthcare systems.
Key components of IOM’s public health interventions will include:
- Strengthening the Ministry of Public Health’s capacity to integrate health into migration policies by providing training, facilitating consultations, and enhancing governance to ensure inclusive and effective migration health responses, aligning efforts with the Toolkit for Integrating Migration into Health Interventions through the Mainstreaming Migration into International Cooperation and Development (MMICD) initiative for comprehensive implementation.
- Delivering primary healthcare services following the Long-term Primary Healthcare Subsidization Protocol (LPSP) set by the Ministry of Public Health, including maternal/child health, non-communicable diseases, nutrition and vaccination through subsidized consultations, laboratory tests, and diagnostic imaging.
- Providing secondary advanced healthcare services for migrants affected by crises based on lifesaving and limb-saving criteria.
- Facilitating referral assistance to enable access to primary healthcare centres (PHCCs).
- Supporting the Ministry of Public Health in strengthening the National Tuberculosis and AIDS control programmes by ensuring continuity of treatment and essential services for all vulnerable groups, including migrants.
- Extending services to hard-to-reach areas through mobile health teams, including community health workers, field coordinators and directly observed therapy workers for screenings, health promotion and awareness activities.
- Enhancing community health resilience through health education and promotion activities and implementation of preventive health services.
- Supporting telehealth services at PHCCs, with a focus on environmental health and MHPSS.
- Engaging in emergency preparedness and response activities through logistics and procurement of medical supplies and medications.
- Engaging with the Lebanese medical diaspora, the government and the international community to strengthen the health system in Lebanon.
- Strengthening the health component at border points by establishing a dedicated health unit.

Protection Priority
IOM will contribute to improving the protection environment for vulnerable populations in Lebanon in accordance with the Organization’s approach to protection. IOM will strive to support all vulnerable individuals, including IDPs, migrants, host communities, refugees, victims of trafficking, women and girls at risk, and others. Key activities will include the following thematic areas:
- Delivering specialized protection services aimed at preventing, mitigating and responding to protection risks, including, GBV, child protection concerns, discrimination, stigmatization and barriers to housing, land and property (HLP) rights. This will also include case management, cash for protection, legal assistance, awareness-raising, safe and ethical referral pathways, community-based protection initiatives, GBV risk mitigation in accordance with IOM’s Institutional Framework on Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Crises (GBViC Framework), and protection monitoring as part of the inter-agency Protection Monitoring Reference Group within the Protection Sector.
- Providing protection and assistance to migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse and ensuring their safety and well-being throughout the migration process and along migration routes.
- Delivering comprehensive services to address the needs of Lebanese returnees, including virtual counselling prior to return, protection support upon arrival, case management and social, psychosocial and economic reintegration assistance.
- Strengthening the prevention and protection measures for migrants at risk of trafficking. This includes implementing standardized screening procedures for early identification of trafficked migrants, providing trauma-informed support services, enhancing coordination with anti-trafficking stakeholders to strengthen referral mechanisms and case management, supporting policy reforms, and building the capacity of government counterparts. In addition, IOM will engage with the private sector to promote ethical recruitment practices that safeguard migrant workers from exploitation.

Movement assistance
IOM will provide humane, dignified, and voluntary movement support to migrants caught in crisis. In Lebanon, movement assistance will include the following activities:
- Facilitating safe movement assistance for vulnerable migrants, returnees, IDPs and individuals at risk of trafficking, including evacuations, internal relocations within Lebanon, and safe, dignified and voluntary return to home countries, such as AVRR.
- Supporting the reunification of separated families by ensuring the safety of each member and facilitating their safe return to their loved ones.
- Providing transportation assistance for beneficiaries to improve access to healthcare services into PHCCs.
To scale up support to safe, dignified and voluntary return movements to Syria, IOM’s planning and response efforts are documented in the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) Crisis Response Plan. This aligns with the efforts under the 3RP framework in coordination with other agencies and partners.

Mental health and psychosocial support
IOM will enhance national capacities to address the mental health and psychosocial needs of host populations, IDPs and migrant communities in Lebanon, promoting mental health and psychosocial well-being. MHPSS interventions will focus on fostering social cohesion, community stabilization and the peacebuilding and recovery of conflict-affected communities. These efforts will align with Lebanon’s National Mental Health Strategy to address both existing and emerging mental health and psychosocial needs and will include:
- Strengthening coordination with governmental entities on MHPSS issues, including the Ministry of Public Health through its National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), the MHPSS taskforce and the Ministry of Social Affairs, along with other relevant bodies
- Supporting the Government of Lebanon systems' strengthening on MHPSS including developing relevant strategies to improve mental health and psychosocial support services.
- Delivering MHPSS services through implementing partners, using a community-based and conflict-sensitive approach. This will encompass awareness-raising initiatives, community and family support activities, as well as focused and specialized MHPSS services. MHPSS services will be delivered in line with the IOM Manual on Community-based MHPSS in Emergencies and Displacement.
- Enhancing the capacity of frontline workers—including governmental and non-governmental stakeholders—on critical MHPSS topics to promote individual well-being, foster social cohesion, and ensure sustainable interventions.
- Equipping frontline workers with the skills to identify and address psychosocial needs, provide psychological first aid (PFA), and apply psychosocially-informed approaches, including trauma-informed care for victims of trafficking, stranded migrants, returnees, and unaccompanied and separated children (UASC).
- Delivering direct MHPSS services to vulnerable migrants, including victims of trafficking, stranded migrants, returnees, and UASC, to enhance their well-being and resilience. This includes facilitating timely referrals to specialized MHPSS services as needed, ensuring comprehensive care and support for those in need.
- Strengthening capacity of community leadership structure representatives (such as community and religious leaders, teachers, youth and women leaders, and caretakers of marginalized groups) and enable them to act as MHPSS resource persons and ambassadors of change in the community.
- Integrating MHPSS into other programming areas such as protection, livelihoods, peace and recovery programmes, health, border management, amongst others, to ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to service provision.

Shelter and settlements Priority
IOM will support shelter repair and rehabilitation to ensure safe weatherproofing, and dignified living conditions for displaced populations. IOM will focus on:
- Repairing and rehabilitating shelters and housing units hosting IDPs to create safe, resilient, and dignified living environments.
- Providing emergency shelter kits to improve weatherproofing and enhance access to dignified shelter.
- Implementing protection risk mitigation measures, fire safety protocols, environmental hazard protection and providing necessary equipment.
- Promoting mid-term solutions, encouraging collaboration and ownership from displaced and host communities and stakeholders.
- Addressing light and moderate shelter damage by sealing buildings against harsh weather conditions, while ensuring culturally acceptable privacy in shared living spaces.
- Providing winterization cash/in-kind support to help families cope with the harsh winter conditions.
- Distributing non-food items (NFIs) and in-kind assistance, including essential relief items such as mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets and solar lamps to IDPs and host communities to meet their immediate needs.
- Developing adaptable shelter and settlement interventions that address both residual displacement and returns, with a focus on settlement-level solutions.
- Enhancing IOM's capacity for multi-sectoral assistance by combining WASH initiatives, particularly infrastructure rehabilitation, with shelter and settlement rehabilitation efforts.
- Adopting area-based and strategic urban planning approaches to optimize resource allocation and maximize the impact of interventions.

Water, sanitation and hygiene
IOM’s WASH interventions are designed to provide life-saving access to safe water and sanitation. In 2025, IOM will construct and rehabilitate key WASH infrastructure, including:
- Connecting collective sites and housing units to the nearest main water sources, ensuring access to adequate water storage.
- Providing the water storage needed at the household level and ensuring safe and sufficient access to water in sites.
- Rehabilitating/repairing damaged and non-functional water networks at the household and community levels.
- Maintaining safe latrines and waste disposal systems within collective sites to ensure proper sanitation and minimize health risks.
- Conducting hygiene promotion activities, including the distribution of hygiene kits to the needed population, in coordination with the local authorities and WASH sector and partners.

Camp coordination and camp management
IOM will collaborate with local authorities and site management partners to provide protection, assistance, and protection-sensitive site and environmental improvements in areas hosting displaced populations, vulnerable migrants, host communities, and refugees. These interventions will support collective and informal displacement sites, ensuring that services are effectively coordinated, and core humanitarian standards are upheld. As co-coordinator of the Site Management and Coordination Sector, IOM will ensure effective coordination at the national and local levels, providing support to partners by leveraging its global expertise as CCCM Cluster co-lead and leadership in the areas of information management and capacity strengthening.
Key activities will include:
- Supporting site improvements to reduce hazards and improve living conditions, including the installation and provision of essential equipment to meet the community’s needs and mitigate protection risks.
- Implementing activities aligned with contingency planning, light decommissioning, and site closures in response to contextual changes. The decommissioning process will focus on restoring facilities to their original state, ensuring safety and functionality for their intended use. This will also include the responsible handover of schools to the Ministry of Education and the return of sites to the community, promoting sustainable and effective resource utilization.
- Distributing key materials to increase privacy and dignity for displaced individuals.
- Providing tools, on-the-job training and support to partners and affected communities to empower them in managing sites effectively.
- Strengthening community engagement structures and community feedback channels to ensure participation of displaced communities in decision-making and enhance their ability to raise issues that require referral and response from service providers.
- Creating effective coordination mechanisms to streamline partner responses to displacement through technically-focused meetings, ensuring efficient coordination of the overall CCCM response.
- Strengthening the technical capacity of government authorities at the national and district levels on CCCM to improve management of displacement.

Disaster risk management
IOM Lebanon will strengthen the preparedness and resilience of communities in fragile contexts to mitigate disaster risks and strengthen local capacities based on various scenarios of escalated conflict and the needs they would present. This will include:
- Enhancing capacity and training initiatives for national and local authorities, including developing customized training programmes based on identified needs, focusing on disaster preparedness, contingency planning, and emergency response.
- Strengthening the capacity of local first responders in partnership with the Lebanon Red Crescent, and including local civil society organizations (CSOs), to enhance their roles in disaster preparedness and response.
- Providing technical assistance, training, and equipment to strengthen national search and rescue services and frontline responders to enhance their capacity for disaster response.
- Promoting the establishment of disaster risk reduction (DRR) legislative frameworks in partnership with key stakeholders.
- Strengthening early warning systems, mitigation efforts and preparedness, through community-centred hazard assessments and analyses.
- Promoting and supporting the construction of community infrastructure (such as drainage systems, sustainable and durable housing, sanitation and water facilities) that adheres to the Building Back Better (BBB) principle, especially in response to the destruction caused by the recent war in Lebanon, which destroyed an estimated 100,000 housing units.
- Promoting ecosystem restoration and implementing nature-based solutions to improve community resilience against disasters.
- Conducting community vulnerability assessments and developing action plans to mitigate hazards, adapt to climate change, improve resilience and livelihoods.
- Educating communities about the impacts of climate change, pollution, and the importance of biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management.
- Strengthening relevant stakeholders’ capacity to reduce disaster risk through a multi-hazard approach, including training, education, vulnerability assessments, and the provision of infrastructure and equipment.

Livelihoods and economic recovery Priority
IOM aims to enhance livelihoods and protect vulnerable populations by addressing the socioeconomic and climate change factors that contribute to community tension, irregular migration and durable solutions. IOM’s activities will provide vulnerable Syrian refugees, Lebanese and returning IDPs access to temporary employment and longer-term income-generating opportunities, while improving employability and job retention.
Activities will include:
Providing aspiring business owners with microfinancing grants and training to support business development.
Distributing grants to MSMEs to boost local businesses through the Enterprise Development Fund (EDF) to create or maintain jobs.
Providing vocational training designed to improve employability by enhancing technical and soft skills.
Implementing cash-for-work activities, such as public work projects and infrastructure maintenance, including cash in exchange for rubble clearance and rehabilitation of public infrastructure.

Community stabilization and community-driven development
IOM will implement projects aimed at supporting local communities experiencing tensions and/or prone to irregular migration. These efforts will apply a community-based planning (CBP) approach to foster local collaboration and trust and enhance community life through improvements in public infrastructure, local services, and livelihood activities. Community-based planning is crucial for promoting the active participation of returnees, restoring social cohesion, and engaging in joint planning to establish shared recovery and resilience priorities.
Key activities will include:
- Launching community-based planning activities within areas facing tensions, by establishing or reviving local committees that promote cross-communal collaboration in pursuit of mutual agendas.
- Implementing identified community support projects to improve local facilities, public infrastructure, and services.
- Ensuring inclusive programming through activities such as community dialogues, providing representation for marginalized groups, including women and youth
- Providing capacity and coordination support to local committees and authorities to build greater trust with local communities.
- Piloting a co-funding mechanism, a community fundraising tool designed to promote horizontal and vertical trust.

Land and property
Many displaced individuals, as well as those returning to their area of origin, face significant challenges in accessing their HLP rights due to dispossession and barriers in obtaining effective legal support. To enhance the resilience of affected persons, IOM will address these challenges by:
- Conducting assessments to identify the specific HLP needs of affected individuals, including displaced persons.
- Providing case management services to displaced persons, ensuring they receive targeted assistance in addressing their HLP challenges.
- Strengthening the capacity of local authorities, civil society organizations, and community leaders to effectively address HLP grievances and create clear pathways for resolution. This will include supporting the provision of legal aid and raising awareness at the community level about HLP rights and available legal options.

Peacebuilding, violence and conflict reduction
IOM will contribute towards reducing risks of conflict, tensions, irregular migration and violent extremism by working with communities to identify the underlying drivers of conflict, strengthen local capacities, and deliver peace dividends. This will entail a range of initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and understanding among diverse communities, such as:
- Conducting conflict assessments and analysis to understand underlying tensions, grievances and triggers within communities.
- Mapping key actors and conflict dynamics to develop targeted interventions that promote stability and social cohesion.
- Providing training on conflict resolution, mediation, and dialogue facilitation to strengthen local mechanisms for dispute resolution.
- Organizing focus group discussions centred on dialogue, peacebuilding, social cohesion and coexistence to foster mutual understanding.
- Promoting inclusive participation by engaging women, youth and marginalized groups in leadership roles.
- Implementing community events, cultural exchanges and intercommunal dialogues to foster trust and mutual respect.

Regular pathways
IOM seeks to maximize the benefits of migration through well-planned, managed, and governed policies and services. IOM supports expanding access to regular migration pathways, including educational opportunities as well as complementary pathways for protection, providing an alternative to high-risk irregular migration driven by instability. This will be done through:
- Facilitating engagement with private sector employers and associations in Lebanon and destination countries to support skills development and vocational training for job placements, including through skills mobility partnerships.
- Developing labour market-responsive and gender-sensitive vocational training programmes tailored to the needs of employers to increase employability of the beneficiaries and promote job matching.
- Liaising with government officials on migration governance, legal frameworks, and best practices for managing regular migration pathways, while supporting the development of a Migration Policy Strategy.
- Engaging with the diaspora and facilitating the Returns of Qualified Nationals Programme for Syria, when the appropriate conditions are met, in accordance with UN guidelines and aligning effort with the 3RP framework in coordination with other agencies and partners.
- Strengthening the capacity of government counterparts, as well as private sector engagement, on ethical recruitment practices.

Humanitarian border management and search and rescue
IOM will provide capacity development to support the Lebanese government, the General Security Directorate (GSD) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in humanitarian border management, responding to irregular migration, and addressing transnational crimes, particularly human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants, recognizing the heightened risks during crises. IOM also works with the Ministry of Public Health to strengthen disease control and prevention at key points of entry.
Key activities will include:
- Strengthening national humanitarian border management and search-and-rescue capacities to ensure that migrants whose lives and/or safety are at risk at sea, particularly in the context of migrant smuggling, are rescued and provided with protection and assistance.
- Providing equipment, technical assistance, and small-scale improvements of border infrastructure to enhance operational effectiveness.
- Providing capacity strengthening to national authorities in evaluating migration movements and migration legislation and policies related to identity, temporary entry, health requirements, as well as migrant smuggling and trafficking.
Lebanon
The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.
Figures are as of November 2024. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.