A testimony by Glykeria Koukouliata, mental health activity manager with MSF in Baalbek-Hermel In Baalbek-Hermel, one of Lebanon’s most underserved governorates and heavily impacted by the latest war and ongoing Israeli airstrikes, large communities of Syrian refugees, both long-term and newly arrived, live alongside local communities.1 Here, children grow up with stress and uncertainty that … Read more
Joumana Mansour, Nurse Team Supervisor, MSF Hermel, Collected 11.11.2025 We heard a deafening sound, and the entire building shook. Dust and debris flew at us from all over. For a moment, it felt like the walls would collapse. I started screaming for everyone to move away from the windows; the staff, the patients, anyone in … Read more
As the war in Lebanon casts a shadow of devastation for millions of people across the country, community-led initiatives and local efforts are testament to the surviving solidarity and hope among Lebanese society. In the heart of Beirut, one such initiative is providing a lifeline for people housed in the Al Azarieh building—once a bustling … Read more
We are in a safe place, for now Maryam, our field communications manager from Beirut, reported from a car as she fled, describing scenes of chaos in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Yesterday (Friday 27/09/2024), we heard and felt a huge series of blasts while we were in meetings at the office. We wrapped up … Read more
Following the widescale Israeli bombings of multiple areas in Lebanon on Monday 23 September, we are gradually stepping up our response to the escalating humanitarian needs. MSF teams are providing general healthcare and essential relief items to displaced people. According to the Ministry of Health, 558 people have been killed and 1,835 injured, with thousands more forced to … Read more
Names in this article have been changed to protect anonymity. “I wish for death,” says Umm Khattab, a Syrian refugee who has called a flimsy tent along the northeast border of Lebanon home for years. “We live in constant anxiety and terror. Death has become more merciful than living here.” Her words capture the stark … Read more
Syrian refugees in Lebanon are finding it increasingly difficult to access vital medical services due to reports of forced deportation and restrictions on their freedom of movement. Teams from Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and their partners have heard from patients that the situation is being exacerbated by discriminatory rhetoric against refugees, creating concerns … Read more
In 2020, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) opened a clinic in Beirut providing migrant domestic workers with free-of-charge health consultations and specialist mental health support. Three years later, MSF teams continue to see the impact of the Kafala system on people’s living and working conditions as well as on their physical and mental health. … Read more
Dwindling supplies of fuel and medicine mean that Lebanon’s healthcare system is rapidly disintegrating as the country – which has been without a government for a year now – grapples with one of the worst economic crises in the world. Our teams are directly experiencing the consequences of the system’s collapse and are gravely concerned … Read more
Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, social unrest and political turmoil. On top of that, and following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2020, a major explosion tore through the capital, Beirut, in August. These overlapping crises have exacerbated people’s vulnerability and pushed thousands into poverty. All this … Read more