A young displaced boy sleeps in the back of a car on March 4, 2026. (Credit: Mohammed Yassin/L'Orient Today)
Nearly 700,000 people in Lebanon, including about 200,000 children, have been forced to flee their homes, adding to the tens of thousands already displaced by earlier escalations, since the war between Hezbollah and Israel intensified on March 2, UNICEF reported Monday.
As displacement rises across the country, a wide network of grassroots initiatives, humanitarian organizations, community groups and local businesses has mobilized to support families who have lost their homes or been forced to seek shelter in schools, community centers and temporary housing.
From community kitchens preparing daily meals to volunteer networks distributing food parcels, mattresses and hygiene supplies, many of these efforts rely heavily on volunteers and small donations. In the absence of large-scale infrastructure, these initiatives reflect Lebanon’s long tradition of community solidarity and mutual aid during times of crisis.
For those looking to volunteer, donate, or seek assistance, the following organizations are currently providing support across Lebanon.
Food aid and community kitchens
Several initiatives are providing hot meals, food parcels and large-scale food distribution to displaced communities.
Nation Station – A Beirut-based community hub coordinating volunteers to prepare and distribute meals and food boxes to displaced families.
Basmeh & Zeitooneh – A long-standing humanitarian organization supporting displaced communities through food aid, education programs amid displacement and social services.
Food Blessed – Mobilizing donations through social media campaigns to fund food distribution for displaced communities.
Ahla Fawda – A grassroots volunteer initiative supporting community-led relief efforts and food distribution.
Beit ‘Am – A community space helping coordinate food support and resources for displaced families.
Lebanese Food Bank – One of Lebanon’s largest food relief organizations, distributing food parcels to displaced communities.
Grassroots and community initiatives
Moltaqa Tollab / Students’ Forum – A student-led initiative mobilizing volunteers and collecting aid.
Souk el Balad – A community platform helping in food preparation for the displaced.
Civil Society and Development Organizations
Some organizations are combining emergency relief with longer-term social support and development programs.
Mada Network and Jeel Sustainable Development are working on humanitarian assistance, providing mattresses, hot meals and medicine to the displaced.
Egna Legna – A community development organization focused on strengthening social solidarity for migrant workers, providing them with a safe sheltering space, food and psychosocial support.
AMAM for development work on resilience projects and promote cooperation between Lebanese and European villages and towns.
Cultural and community spaces supporting relief
Across Beirut, several independent cultural spaces and small businesses have turned into informal relief hubs.
Barzakh Bookshop Café (Hamra) – The independent bookstore and café has transformed its kitchen into a relief hub, preparing and distributing daily iftar meals for displaced families.
📞 78 909 472
Emergency relief and humanitarian assistance
These organizations are providing broader humanitarian services, including shelter coordination, psychosocial support and emergency assistance.
Offre Joie – The long-established Lebanese NGO has opened a center in Karantina, Beirut, to welcome displaced families and call for volunteers to support relief efforts.
📞 03 089 083
InnerVoice (Beirut) – Supporting families sheltering in schools and temporary centers by providing food, mattresses and psychosocial support.
📞 03 083 010
Order of Malta Lebanon - 70 years of service with 60 projects and programs nationwide, assisting in and outside shelters in healthcare, mental health, basic assistance, psychosocial support and food security.
📞 01/494959
Caritas Lebanon – Operating a nationwide emergency hotline and delivering humanitarian assistance, including shelter support, food aid and social services.
📞 1633
IDRAC – Providing inclusive humanitarian support for displaced people with disabilities, including psychosocial care and specialized assistance.
📞 76 100 576
Medical and social Support
Kelna Aayleh – Providing community-based medical and social support to displaced families.
Animal Rescue
Displacement has also affected pets and stray animals left behind during evacuations.
Mount Lebanon Dog Shelter – Providing rescue, shelter and veterinary care for dogs affected by displacement and conflict.
Animals Lebanon – Rescuing animals trapped and injured in conflict zones, notably in the southern suburbs of Beirut and the South.
Many of these initiatives depend on volunteers, donations and community support to continue operating. Those who wish to help can contribute by donating funds, volunteering their time or helping to distribute supplies to displaced families across Lebanon.
