Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2023

Year

CRP last updated: December 15 2022

Funding last updated: January 13 2024

$35,300,000

Funding required

2,300,000

People in need

43,000

People Targeted

Download CRP Download Summary

IOM Vision

IOM aims to support and protect the most vulnerable individuals across Lebanon, including migrants, refugees, and local community members, against mounting humanitarian needs and socioeconomic hardship caused by a multitude of compounding crises. To address the mobility dynamics of the multi-faceted crisis, IOM will provide lifesaving support, build economic and community resilience against the loss of job opportunities and growing tensions, and seek to prevent and discourage unsafe and irregular migration.

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon continues to worsen, triggering increased poverty and despair. The economic collapse ranks among the worst globally in modern times. It has caused severe inflation and unemployment, putting basic living costs out of reach for thousands of people and resulting in acute humanitarian needs. More than half of the Lebanese population is likely living below the poverty line (World Bank, 2022). Lebanon has one of the world's highest numbers of refugees per capita and currently hosts approximately 1.5 million Syrians. Refugees have been significantly affected by a sharp rise in poverty; they have limited access to food, education, health care and other basic services. In 2021, 90 per cent of Syrian refugee households were estimated to be living in extreme poverty. While equivalent data for 2022 is yet to be published, this figure is likely to remain high.

State bankruptcy has weakened public services, particularly the provision of electricity, and by extension, life-saving health care is threatened. Essential medicines to treat chronic diseases, as well as antibiotics, are increasingly difficult to obtain. A quarter of Lebanese, Palestinian and migrant households do not have access to adequate health services (REACH, 2022). The Russo-Ukraine war has disrupted grain supplies and threatened food security, with the cost of bread rising; 57 per cent of Lebanese households are struggling to afford food (WFP, 2022). Fuel shortages are disrupting water supplies, with critical water pumps idle for lack of fuel generation, resulting in an increased reliance on suspect water sources, particularly in vulnerable communities such as informal tented settlements. This has been a contributing factor in the cholera outbreak that hit Lebanon in October 2022. The outbreak demonstrates the impact faltering infrastructure can have, putting an already strained healthcare system, operating on limited capacity, under more pressure. This is aggravated by the combination of poor environmental governance and climate change, which is causing water scarcity, increasing rates of wildfires, and environmental degradation. These problems reflect a weak infrastructure, lack of preparedness and high exposure to catastrophic events, which is an increasing concern in the context of climate change. Despite its middle-income status, Lebanon is ranked 117 out of 182 countries globally on the 2022 ND-GAIN climate vulnerability index.

Furthermore, political uncertainty is high. Lebanon is without a functioning government and is stuck in a presidential vacuum. Political volatility has increased tension between groups, resulting in local clashes. Economic and state decay are destabilizing the country’s delicate political balance.

Deteriorating conditions are affecting mobility trends with an increase in irregular boat departures attempting to reach Europe. An estimated 4,211 Lebanese, Syrian and Palestine refugees attempted the journey between January and October 2022, already nearly triple last year’s figures.[1] This trend is particularly alarming given how dangerous these crossings can be. Two tragic sinkings have taken place so far in 2022 alone, with over 140 migrants drowned or missing. (Al Jazeera, 2022; L’Orient Today, 2022)

It is estimated that over 135,000 migrants reside in Lebanon, including 80 different nationalities (IOM, 2022). Migrants have been severely affected by the deteriorating economic conditions, with high rates of unemployment, food and shelter insecurity, and poor access to essential services like drinking water and health care, including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) (OCHA, 2022). An increasing number are stranded and unable to return to their country of origin, meet their basic needs or support their families back home; the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment 2022 (MSNA) indicates that 60 per cent of migrants in Lebanon are in need of humanitarian assistance (OCHA, 2022). Due to the sponsorship (kafala) system, many find themselves having to choose between accepting exploitative working conditions, and wage theft from their employer, or falling into irregular status, limiting their access to assistance, and exponentially increasing the risk of falling victim to human trafficking, sexual exploitation, exploitative working conditions, detention, and deportation (Amnesty International). Protection concerns pre-existing the crisis, such as discrimination, sexual harassment and violence against migrants, especially female domestic workers, have further increased (IMS Policy and Working Paper Series, 2022). 60 per cent of migrants currently in Lebanon need humanitarian and protection assistance (an increase in 31% from last year), potentially as many as a quarter seeking assistance to return home. While the needs of migrants are at par, and in some areas more severe, than other population groups, only nine per cent of migrants received humanitarian assistance in the last 12 months and funding for specialized assistance to migrants is urgently required to ensure they are not left behind. (REACH & IOM, 2022)

[1] Data shared by UNHCR in Irregular Migration Working Group Meeting, 27 October 2022.

IOM Lebanon programming forms a part of the wider United Nations response frameworks: the Lebanese Crisis Response Plan (LCRP), the Syrian refugee response in Lebanon, the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) and the UN Strategic Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). IOM’s interventions are coordinated with and guided by LCRP and ERP sectors and respective pillar working groups of the UNSDCF. These include the basic assistance sector, livelihood, protection, health, social stability, child protection, GBV, WASH sectors and people planet, prosperity and peace pillars. Additionally, IOM leads the migrant sector under the ERP, which coordinates specialized assistance to migrants across more than 40 organizations. IOM engages with local and national government counterparts, including the General Security Directorate, the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Interior; Municipalities and the Local government. Additionally, IOM works closely with a wide network of local actors, including non-governmental, civil society, and community groups, who constitute a key part of the overall social and protection landscape providing services to vulnerable communities. Through coordination, referral, and capacity development, IOM is dedicated to strengthening these actors to improve protection frameworks and service provision.

IOM’s in-country capacity, consisting of 148 staff, is primarily located within the Beirut head office, FAP (Family Assistance Programme) office in Mount Lebanon, and two field offices in North Lebanon (Tripoli) and the Beqaa Valley (Chtoura). IOM Lebanon conducts a wide range of activities, spread across six areas of engagement. These areas are:

Resettlement and complementary protection pathways, including family reunification and labour migration;
Migrant protection and reintegration;
Border management, including support to national search and rescue services;
Emergency response and community stabilization;
Migration health; and
Data and research.

Objective
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$17,500,000

Funding required

43,000

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Under this objective, IOM will provide humanitarian and protection assistance to the most vulnerable groups, including migrants, refugees, and Lebanese citizens, including health assistance, cash-based support, and case management and protection services for people in need, including for victims of exploitation and abuse. In doing so, IOM will work with a range of entities including primary healthcare centres, hospitals, local municipalities, government ministries and agencies, and local NGOs.

Funding confirmed 28%

72% Funding gap

Direct health support

IOM will support primary and secondary healthcare services to improve access to health for vulnerable groups, particularly migrants.

Activities will include:

Delivering primary healthcare services including reproductive, maternal and child health, nutrition and vaccination, through subsidized consultation fees, laboratory tests and imaging, and quality performance indicator-based incentives.
Covering secondary health-care hospitalization fees of migrants.

Funding required

$5,000,000

Funding confirmed

$2,385,563

Last updated: 13 Jan 2024

Plan types

47%

Funding confirmed

53%

Funding gap

Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance

IOM will provide cash-based assistance to severely vulnerable households, including migrants, refugees, and the Lebanese.

Activities will include:

Providing winterization support.
Providing cash assistance for education.
Providing multipurpose cash assistance.

Funding required

$2,000,000

Plan types

Protection

IOM will deliver protection assistance to vulnerable migrants, host populations, and refugees, reached through partner referrals and community outreach. Assistance will include those who have been subject to violence, exploitation, and abuse, including Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors, victims of human trafficking (VoT), as well as other vulnerable profiles.

IOM will also target returning migrants, including irregular migrants intercepted at sea and shipwreck survivors, and families of victims. People targeted will receive case management support and services either directly by IOM or via partners. Protection services will be tailored according to the needs identified.

Activities will include:

Providing appropriate case management and counselling to migrants in vulnerable situations in Lebanon, including migrants who have been subjected to violence, exploitation, and abuse and VoT.
Providing follow-up care, including basic assistance, cash for protection, accommodation, health-care services, and psychosocial support (e.g. therapy, support groups and legal assistance).
Strengthening referral systems and the capacity of local service providers to ensure services are available, accessible and of quality.

Funding required

$5,000,000

Funding confirmed

$2,330,912

Last updated: 13 Jan 2024

Plan types

46%

Funding confirmed

54%

Funding gap

Provision of water, sanitation and hygiene in emergencies

IOM field teams will contribute to the cholera response through the delivery of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities.

Activities will include:

Providing cholera-tailored hygiene kits to communities at risk.
Risk communication and communication engagement on hygiene promotion and other topics related to cholera.
Conducting household-level water quality monitoring, provision of free residual chlorine, and distribution of water purification tablets.
Implementing Case Area Targeted Intervention (CATI) in cholera hotspots in coordination with the sub-national WASH cluster.

Funding required

$1,500,000

Plan types

Movement assistance

IOM will provide:

Voluntary, safe, and dignified humanitarian returns by air to stranded migrants to address the growing numbers of those wishing to leave Lebanon as the economic conditions continue to worsen.

Funding required

$4,000,000

Plan types

Multi-sectoral support

Includes funding which supports multi-sectoral interventions or cannot be attributed to a specific activity area.

Funding confirmed

$250,950

Last updated: 13 Jan 2024

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Objective
Driving solutions to displacement

$14,000,000

Funding required

8,000

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Under this objective, IOM will target communities experiencing inter-communal tension and/or prone to irregular migration, with a focus on North Lebanon, Akkar, and the Beqaa Valley. IOM will deliver locally-centred interventions to promote community resilience and social cohesion, with a focus on livelihoods, local governance, and the improvement of local services and public infrastructure. In doing so IOM will work with a range of entities including municipalities, local businesses, schools, clubs, government ministries, Social Development Centres, and primary healthcare centres.

Community stabilization

IOM will implement projects to support local communities experiencing tensions and/or prone to irregular migration. This will be through community-based planning that promotes local collaboration and trust, while also enhancing community life: e.g., through improved public infrastructure, local services, or livelihood activities.

Activities will include:

Initiating community-based planning within areas facing tension, by establishing/reviving local committees that promote cross-communal collaboration in pursuit of mutual agendas.
Implementing community support projects to improve local facilities, public infrastructure, and services.
Following inclusive programming to ensure typically marginalized groups, such as women, and youth are represented.
Providing capacity and coordination support to local authorities to build greater trust with local communities.
Implementing cash for work activities.
Providing aspiring business owners with microfinancing grants and training to support business development.
Providing grants to small and medium enterprises to boost local businesses and job creation.
Piloting a Matching Grant Mechanism, a community fundraising tool designed to promote horizontal and vertical trust.

Funding required

$12,000,000

Funding confirmed

$109,922

Last updated: 12 Jan 2024

Plan types

Durable solutions

In addition to resettlement activities, IOM will also facilitate complementary protection pathways for refugees and Lebanese, such as family reunification and labour migration.

Activities will include:

Providing information on regular migration and complementary protection pathways, family reunification, counselling and services.

Funding required

$1,000,000

Plan types

Mental health and psychosocial support in transition and recovery

IOM will enable the provision of services by local NGOs to strengthen the overall provision of MHPSS in Lebanon. IOM will also work to build the capacity of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) Social Development Centres through partnerships with local NGOs, to provide MHPSS activities and services to local communities, and to foster sustainable solutions.

Activities will include:

Supporting local NGOs/CSOs through the provision of grants, or capacity-building efforts.
Providing direct assistance and capacity development of local service providers focused on social cohesion, peacebuilding, MHPSS, recreational activities, and youth.
Providing group and individual psychosocial counselling.
Implementing art-based and recreational activities for children and youth.
Partnerships with local NGOs for the provision of peacebuilding and social cohesion activities, such as recreational events, workshops, and community initiatives.
Conducting local outreach to facilitate activities and support in surrounding areas.

Funding required

$1,000,000

Plan types

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Objective
Strengthen preparedness and reduce disaster risk

$3,000,000

Funding required

3,000

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Under this objective, IOM will support state actors, including the General Security Directorate, Lebanese Armed Forces, municipalities and Civil Defense Units, and the Ministry of Public Health to strengthen their emergency response capacity in relation to disease surveillance, search and rescue, and disasters. This will be done via multi-hazard risk analyses, and the provision of technical assistance, equipment and training. IOM will work with a range of entities including border authorities, national search and rescue services, municipalities, Civil Defense, the Lebanese Armed Forces, the General Security Directorate, the Ministry of Public Health and primary healthcare centres.

Health components of preparedness and risk reduction

IOM as part of border health interventions will coordinate with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to develop public health emergency contingency plans to respond to suspected communicable diseases at the borders, with an overall objective to improve preparedness and risk reduction at the borders, in line with the 2005 International Health Regulations.

Activities will include:

Training of health and non-health staff at borders.
Developing standard operating procedures and contingency plans at borders for public health threats.
Procurement of supplies, equipment, and diagnostic tests.
Cultural sensitisation training to primary health-care staff.
Supporting MoPH to develop the public health emergency response plan.
Conducting symptom screening and awareness sessions for migrants at borders.
Supporting a network of volunteers all over Lebanon in outreach activities to migrants and vulnerable communities, to raise awareness about different public health topics including but not limited to cholera, COVID-19, tuberculosis and HIV.
Supporting outbreak preparedness, building a stockpile of kits to distribute in emergencies.

Funding required

$500,000

Plan types

Disaster prevention

IOM will strengthen relevant stakeholders’ capacity to reduce disaster risk through a multi-hazard approach that will identify hazards by improving relevant local and national capacities to respond to these dangers.

Activities will include:

Implementing training and education events;
Conducting community-based vulnerability and capacity assessments and mapping;
Providing infrastructure and equipment.

Funding required

$1,500,000

Plan types

Emergency preparedness - rename

IOM will support national search and rescue services and front-line responders. In addition, annual wildfires in Lebanon cause temporary displacement and significant damage to public infrastructure and private homes, as well as casualties. IOM will strengthen preparedness to respond to forest fires, particularly in the country’s northern region where local capacity is lacking and unable to respond effectively.

Activities will include:

Providing technical assistance, training, and equipment to strengthen search and rescue capacity.
Supporting Civil Defence.

Funding required

$1,000,000

Plan types

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Objective
Contribute to an evidence-based and efficient crisis response system

$800,000

Funding required

At risk communities

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Under this objective, IOM will conduct data collection activities, with a focus on migrants and irregular migration trends, to inform humanitarian programming in Lebanon.

Funding confirmed 2%

98% Funding gap

Displacement tracking - rename

IOM Lebanon will conduct a series of research and data activities to improve knowledge on migration trends in Lebanon, and better monitor population changes over specified periods.

Activities will include:

Conducting round three of the Migrant Presence Monitoring (MPM).
Contributing to the Multisector Needs Assessment (MSNA).
Conducting research on irregular migration.
Conducting regular protection monitoring among migrant communities in Lebanon, in cooperation with the Migrant Sector NGO partners.

Funding required

$800,000

Funding confirmed

$20,076

Last updated: 13 Jan 2024

Plan types

Funding confirmed

98%

Funding gap

Read less

Operational presence in

Lebanon

International staff and affiliated work force

335

National staff and affiliated work force

IOM field office

^{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 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.}

Global Crisis Response Platform

Working across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus