The situation in Lebanon has always been complex and impacted by geopolitics. The country has experienced multiple conflicts in the past decades including civil war and Israeli and Syrian occupation. Conflicts in other countries have led to massive waves of migration, including the Armenians following the 1915 genocide, Palestinians after the establishment of Israel in 1948, and Syrians linked to the civil war, which started in 2011. Today, Lebanon is the country hosting the biggest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometre in the world. In addition, there are now more than 90,000 internally displaced people due to the recent escalation of hostilities in the southern part of the country. As Syrians’ and Palestinians’ access to the labour market is highly restricted, they hardly could build sustainable livelihoods. The migration adds to the ethnic and religious heterogeneity of Muslims, Christian, and Druze, who are all split into multiple sects and denominations.
Lebanon seemed to be rather stable despite the impacts of the Syrian crisis. However, the development gains achieved ended abruptly. Since 2019 multiple crises push the country closer to collapse. As the government could not deliver political and economic reforms, foreign investment decreased. Coupled with financial mismanagement the country experienced economic stagnation and increasing unemployment, which led to protests putting the government under pressure. The Lebanese pound lost more than 98% of its pre-crisis value by February 2023, and people’s foreign currency savings got blocked in the banks. The covid pandemic further destabilized the country and in August 2020 improperly stored ammonium nitrate exploded in the port of Beirut and devastated a large part of the city. This accident did not lead only to death and suffering for the households affected but further exacerbate the economic crisis and political crises in the country .
Severe inflation and decreasing income opportunities push society extremely quickly into poverty. The per Capita GDP has decreased from 7500 USD in 2019 to 2700 USD in 2021 and multidimensional poverty has increased at the same time from 42 per cent to 82 per cent with 40 per cent of all families living in extreme poverty.
Since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, Hezbollah forces and the Israeli army have engaged in a dangerous tit-for-tat escalation reaching a scope and level of intensity not witnessed since 2006 hostilities. Cross-border heavy missile barrage from the Lebanese armed group, coupled with intensified Israeli airstrikes on South Lebanon and Bekaa Valley, have led to a high number of casualties, including among the civilian population. The conflict has even compounded the hardships for many vulnerable households, leading to economic disruptions, displacement, political pressure, and security constraints in the country.
