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Lebanon: Providing Care and Support to Refugees Amid Rising Needs
Lebanon, home to the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, is experiencing internal displacement alongside mounting health care needs. Unrest in neighbouring Syria, financial crisis, policy decisions, and growing vulnerability due to continued Israeli bombardment and military presence are adding new layers to a humanitarian crisis that shows no sign of easing.
Today, Lebanon hosts approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees, nearly 250,000 Palestinian refugees, around 176,000 migrant workers (the majority of whom are women), and close to 83,000 people internally displaced by Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon and other areas.At Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), we have a long history of providing free, quality healthcare to people in need — without discrimination and regardless of nationality or legal status. In Lebanon, our teams deliver primary health care, sexual and reproductive health services, care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), routine and emergency vaccinations, wound care, and mental health support to refugees, vulnerable Lebanese, migrant workers, and other marginalised groups.
We operate four fixed clinics across the country:
- In Beirut, we operate two clinics:
- In theBourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Beirut, home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and hundreds of Syrian families, MSF provides essential care and chronic disease management in a context where residents face systemic barriers to accessing public health services. In Bourj Hammoud, a densely populated neighbourhood where many African and Asian migrant workers live, often in overcrowded and precarious conditions, we offer free, quality healthcare to a population often excluded from affordable medical services.
- In theBaalbek-Hermel governorate, where large numbers of Syrian families sought refuge following the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, and more recently after the fall of the Assad government in late 2024, MSF runs clinics in Hermel and Arsal, providing comprehensive primary care.
Mobile clinic activities include:
- In Baalbek-Hermel governorate, we also operate a network ofmobile medical teams that reach isolated or recently displaced populations, especially those living in informal tented settlements, areas heavily affected by the Israeli war in Lebanon, or remote areas with limited infrastructure.
- Innorthern Lebanon and Akkar, where waves of displacement have continued to reshape humanitarian needs in the area, our mobile mental health team provides psychological first aid, counselling, and recreational activities for children. This support is especially critical for Syrian refugees who have endured trauma and loss, often compounded by economic insecurity, legal precarity, and a lack of clarity about the future.
- In the Nabatieh governorate of southern Lebanon, the area most heavily impacted by Israeli bombardment and infrastructure damage during the 2024 escalation, more than 28,000 people remain displaced. MSF has deployed mobile medical teams to provide care to those living in temporary housing or with host communities, offering vital health services in areas where the local system is overwhelmed or no longer functional.
Across all these areas, mental health needs are growing. Mental health needs among displaced and refugee communities are especially acute. Many have endured repeated cycles of war, forced displacement, loss of loved ones, and chronic instability — all of which take a profound psychological toll. In fact, MSF teams, across all our projects and clinics, provide psychological first aid, counselling, and/or psychosocial support, since anxiety, depression, trauma, and a persistent state of limbo weigh heavily on children and adults who have endured war, displacement, and loss.
However, conflict, economic collapse, and recent policy decisions — including UNHCR’s suspension of hospitalisation and primary health care coverage for Syrian refugees due to severe funding cuts —further limit access to essential care. This leaves tens of thousands of vulnerable families without the financial means to cover medical expenses. Many now avoid health facilities due to cost or fear of legal repercussions, while others are forced to interrupt or stop their treatments altogether, putting their health at serious risk. These shifts are occurring as aid organisations and healthcare systems across the country are already overstretched and under-resourced.
Amid growing uncertainty and global humanitarian funding shortfalls, MSF remains committed to providing medical care to those most in need. We continue to advocate for equitable access to health services for all, and we call on all to act in solidarity with displaced and vulnerable people in Lebanon.