This thematic analysis report on vulnerability amid conflict in Lebanon represents the third product included in DFS’s Lebanon project, funded by the H2H Network. It is produced in parallel with DFS’s work on the Lebanon Situation Hub (SitHub), a centralized information platform that collects, organizes, and visualizes critical humanitarian data to support decision-making in crisis response. This report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the situation of vulnerable groups in Lebanon, examining the broader context and specific impacts of the 2024 conflict on these populations. An extended analysis was conducted on migrant workers, given their frequent underrepresentation in crisis assessments and analytical products.
The conflict period between October 2023 and late 2024 was the deadliest Lebanon has experienced in decades, with more than 4,040 people reported killed, including 316 children and 790 women, while 16,590 people were injured. This violence triggered massive displacement, with nearly one million people forced from their homes at the peak of the crisis. The ceasefire on November 27, 2024, brought some relief, though sporadic violations continue to affect security in parts of the country, particularly in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's complex situation is further complicated by the presence of approximately 1.5 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, who were already vulnerable before the recent conflict and have now experienced secondary displacement within Lebanon. In some regions, the refugee population exceeds the local population, straining community resources that were already limited due to Lebanon's ongoing economic crisis. The fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024 added another layer of complexity, creating new refugee movements into Lebanon even as the country struggled to manage its displacement crisis.
Our analysis reveals significant disparities in both the impact of the conflict on different vulnerable groups and the information available about their situations. While IDPs and refugees received substantial media and humanitarian attention (6,975 and 4,293 entries, respectively), other vulnerable populations, such as migrant workers, received comparatively less coverage despite their acute vulnerabilities. This information asymmetry raises concerns about potentially overlooked humanitarian needs and suggests that certain vulnerable groups may be systematically underrepresented in response planning. The relatively limited data on migrant workers is particularly concerning given their precarious legal status under the Kafala system and reports of increased exploitation during the crisis period. These information gaps highlight the need for more inclusive data collection approaches that capture the full spectrum of vulnerability in conflict settings.
By analyzing the unique challenges faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, refugees, migrant workers and people with specific needs (including pregnant and lactating women, elderly people, people with disabilities, and people with chronic illnesses), this assessment offers a nuanced perspective on how conflict affects diverse vulnerable groups differently and identifies their specific needs and protection concerns.
