As Lebanon sits under a fragile ceasefire following weeks of intense missile fire and mass displacement, humanitarian organisations are racing to reach civilians trapped in hard-to-access areas of the country’s south, where many cannot safely leave and essential supplies have been cut off.
Caritas Lebanon has deployed multiple humanitarian convoys to frontline and isolated villages in southern Lebanon, providing one of the few remaining lifelines for families who have endured weeks of bombardment, displacement, and severe shortages of food, fuel, water, and medical supplies. Many residents of the region, including older people, people with disability, and families without safe transport, have been unable to flee.
On the 8th of April, Caritas Lebanon delivered critical assistance via convoy, accompanied by His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Rai, to Kawkaba, Marjeyoun and Qlayaa, supplying food and fuel to communities that had been largely cut off.
That same day Lebanon experienced one of the deadliest single days since the escalation began, with more than 100 strikes in just 10 minutes, leaving over 200 people killed and more than 1,000 injured.
“These convoys are essential,” said Dan Skehan, Programs Director at Caritas Australia. “For some communities in southern Lebanon, this is the only way food, medicine and fuel are reaching them. Many people simply cannot leave, and without humanitarian access their situation would be catastrophic.”
As of mid-April, more than 1 million people were displaced nationwide, with over 140,000 in overcrowded temporary shelters. New evacuation orders in early April triggered further waves of displacement, placing immense pressure on host communities and already overstretched services.
Alongside the convoys to the south, Caritas Lebanon continues a large-scale emergency response across Beirut, Mount Lebanon, the North, Bekaa and Baalbek-El-Hermel.
Between the 2nd of March and the 13th of April, Caritas Lebanon delivered more than 329,000 life‑saving services, including:
Hot meals, bread, and food parcels for displaced families
Mattresses, blankets, clothing kits, and fuel in collective shelters
Primary health care through fixed clinics and mobile medical units
Water and hygiene kits, especially for babies and the elderly
Psychosocial support, protection, and GBV services
Remote education support for displaced children, including those with disabilities
While the ceasefire has allowed limited humanitarian movement, access remains highly fragile. Many roads are still damaged or restricted, and communities in southern Lebanon continue to face isolation, fear, and uncertainty.
To support Caritas Australia’s Lebanon Crisis Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/lebanon or call 1800 024 413 toll free.
Media contact: Tara Harvey 0484 002 021 tara.harvey@caritas.org.au or caritasmedia@caritas.org.au
