Lebanon hardest hit

Norway is releasing 30 million kroner from the humanitarian reserve. These funds come in addition to the 25 million kroner allocated by Norway in March – 15 million kroner to Lebanon and 10 million kroner to Iran.

A humanitarian reserve is funding set aside in advance to enable a rapid response to humanitarian crises – such as natural disasters, conflicts or acute hunger crises.

In Lebanon, hospitals are overwhelmed, critical infrastructure has been damaged, and close to 140,000 people have sought refuge in collective shelters.

Highest number of refugees per capita

In addition to around 1.5 million Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons, new attacks and increased instability since the end of February have forced approximately one million people to flee. Even before the war, Lebanon was one of the countries in the world with the highest number of refugees per capita.

– Humanitarian aid is about saving lives here and now, as well as enabling long-term planning and resilience. That is how we prevent suffering in future crises, says Erik Abild, Director of the Department for Humanitarian Assistance and Comprehensive Response.

Norway has released 30 million kroner from the humanitarian reserve in response to the acute crisis in the Middle East. Of this,

• 10 million kroner goes to the UN Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF),
• 10 million kroner to UNFPA in Lebanon,
• 10 million kroner to the World Food Programme (WFP).

This is in addition to the 15 million kroner allocated in March to the UN Country-Based Pooled Fund (10 million kroner) and UNHCR (5 million kroner).

The funds will help meet the rapidly growing humanitarian needs in the country following the regional escalation of the war in the Middle East.

What are the Norwegian funds being used for?

20 million kroner to the UN Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF)

LHF provides rapid, flexible funding to both international and national organisations, with particular emphasis on local actors who often have the best access to affected areas.

Norwegian support contributes to, among other things:

• Cash assistance to the most vulnerable households.
• Temporary shelter, including rehabilitation of damaged homes and support for overcrowded shelters.
• Health and WASH efforts, such as strengthening local clinics, medical supplies and water and hygiene measures.
• Protection, particularly for women, children and people with special needs.

10 million kroner to UNFPA in Lebanon

Working closely with health authorities, other UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, UNFPA will help maintain access to what are described as life-saving reproductive health services, covering maternal health, birth assistance and access to essential medicines and equipment.

At the same time, UNFPA will strengthen prevention of and response to gender-based violence through safe services, the establishment and support of secure reporting and referral mechanisms, as well as targeted measures for women and girls in both collective shelters and host communities. Through this work, UNFPA will ensure that gender and protection perspectives are integrated into the overall humanitarian response.

10 million kroner to the World Food Programme (WFP)

WFP plays a key role in ensuring food security for the most vulnerable households affected by the ongoing crisis. The organisation will rapidly scale up its existing food and cash assistance programmes in areas with large numbers of evacuees who have lost their income and have no money for food.

5 million kroner to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon

UNHCR leads several of the sectors in the relief effort and aims to reach around 600,000 people over three months through:

• Cash assistance developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA).
• Protection and follow-up of vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly and people with special needs.
• Support for collective shelters, including refurbishment, operations and the presence of social workers and protection teams.
• Distribution of emergency relief items such as mattresses, blankets, solar lamps and kitchen sets.

At the start of March, UNHCR's work in Lebanon was only 14 per cent funded, making Norway's contribution especially important.

Norwegian efforts in a challenging context

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is rapidly deteriorating. The country has been marked by several years of economic crisis, political instability and very weak public services. New attacks, increased displacement and pressure on health and water systems are driving needs that are both large and acute.

In addition to the funds from the humanitarian reserve, Norway supports Lebanon through a wide range of long-term and flexible arrangements:

For 2026, 74 million kroner in support is planned through Norwegian humanitarian partners:

• Norwegian People's Aid – 25 million
• Norwegian Refugee Council – 29 million
• Norwegian Red Cross – 13 million
• Norwegian Church Aid – 16 million

NORWAC receives 21 million kroner from a regional allocation.

In response to the crisis, partners have additionally released more than 35 million kroner in flexible funding, including from the Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian People's Aid, the Red Cross, Save the Children and Norwegian Church Aid. This enables the organisations to rapidly scale up their efforts and help where the needs are greatest.

Norway also contributes through international emergency relief funds such as CERF (the UN Central Emergency Response Fund), WFP's emergency response fund for acute crises, and UNICEF's emergency fund.

Such arrangements provide rapid access to funding and make it possible to launch life-saving measures before larger funding rounds are put in place.

Mine Action and Disarmament

Lebanon has also decided to accede to the Mine Action and Disarmament Convention, an important step towards strengthening the protection of civilians in a country heavily affected by explosives and conflict-related weapons.

• Read more at Norwegian People's Aid