The UN Agency for Refugees, UNHCR, warned this Tuesday that the displacement crisis in Lebanon is still far from being concluded, despite more than 850,000 people having returned to the south of the country. In this area, the Lebanese Army continues its deployment while denouncing attacks and breaches of the agreement by Israel.
UNHCR emphasizes that, although the majority of displaced persons have been able to return to their localities, many families find themselves with damaged homes, widespread destruction, and a severe lack of basic services, so the displacement emergency remains fully in effect in the south of the country.
According to the agency's estimates, around 860,000 people have returned to their places of origin, while about 360,000 remain far from their homes. Among them are at least 22,000 people who remain in collective accommodations, in addition to numerous families who have been forced to live with relatives or in overcrowded rental apartments.
In this context, UNHCR stresses that the security situation in Lebanon "remains fragile" and that the humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of people are "enormous." "Although the intensity of hostilities has decreased, airstrikes continue to put many lives at risk," it indicated in a statement.
The agency also highlights that restrictions on mobility, the presence of military activity, and the dangers associated with explosive remnants of war continue to affect large areas of southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley region, limiting safe return and access to services.
Despite the massive return, UNHCR reminds that more than one million people were forced to leave their homes and that many of them still cannot return due to the accumulation of debris, insecurity, lack of access to their communities, and extensive damage to infrastructure.
"Lebanon is not yet in a post-crisis phase, but continues to face a complex situation of displacement and protection risks. Displaced families wish to return as soon as possible, and sustained humanitarian assistance, support for recovery, debris removal, reconstruction efforts, and an improvement in security are essential to enable sustainable solutions for the affected populations," it has stated.
Regarding the humanitarian response, UNHCR reminds that only 48% of the funding needs to address the situation on the ground has been covered. In global terms, UNHCR's operation in Lebanon for 2026 has only received 24% of the 472.3 million dollars (about 407 million euros) it requires to cover its total needs.