As hostilities linked to the war intensified, Lebanon once again faced a sharp rise in internal displacement. Airstrikes, insecurity, and fear forced thousands of families to flee their homes with little or no warning, leaving behind livelihoods, possessions, and familiar support networks. Many sought refuge in schools, unfinished buildings, collective shelters, or overcrowded host communities, often under extremely harsh conditions.
Displaced families faced acute shortages of safe shelter, basic household items, and essential cooking equipment, compounding the trauma of displacement. With winter approaching and access to services severely strained, humanitarian actors moved rapidly to help restore a minimum level of safety, dignity, and protection for those uprooted inside their own country.
In response, Luxembourg deployed its stockpile of essential shelter and non‑food items, specifically tailored to the needs of internally displaced populations. The assistance included:
- Tarpaulins to provide immediate, safe shelter
- Sleeping mats to protect families from cold and damp ground
- Kitchen sets, allowing households to prepare food independently and safely
Coordinated international support
Luxembourg donated the relief items to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is responsible for overseeing their humanitarian use and equitable distribution to displaced families most in need. IOM’s role ensures that assistance reaches vulnerable households efficiently and in line with established protection and accountability standards.
To facilitate the arrival of the supplies in Lebanon, the World Food Programme (WFP)—acting through the Logistics Cluster—received the cargo at Beirut airport. WFP managed customs clearance and handled onward logistics, navigating a complex and constrained operational environment marked by infrastructure limitations, security considerations, and high humanitarian demand.
The role of the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge
Transport of the relief items was made possible through ReliefEU, the European Union’s emergency response capacity managed by DG ECHO. Under this mechanism, the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge organized and carried out the flight, ensuring rapid and reliable delivery of humanitarian supplies.s.
In this operation, the Humanitarian Air Bridge proved essential in bridging time‑critical gaps, allowing relief items to reach displaced communities quickly, when delays could have further worsened living conditions.
Read more about the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge here.
