LEBANON – Lebanon has received only $622.58 million out of the $1.62 billion required to fund its 2026 Response Plan, equivalent to approximately 38% of the total amount needed, according to data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on October 5, 2026.
The funding shortfall comes as approximately 1.5 million people, including people living in poverty, internally displaced persons, and refugees, require humanitarian assistance.
The successive crises continue to affect living conditions and households’ ability to meet their basic needs. Rising living costs, declining purchasing power, and limited employment opportunities make these challenges increasingly difficult to address, particularly for the most vulnerable groups.
The impact of insufficient funding extends beyond the amount of assistance available. It also affects the capacity of institutions and humanitarian actors to respond to the population’s diverse needs, including basic assistance, social services, and protection for those most exposed to risks.
As the gap between needs and available resources persists, questions arise over the response plan’s ability to address humanitarian priorities amid limited funding.
This situation also highlights the challenges facing social protection in Lebanon, where several programmes and initiatives rely on external funding and international grants rather than sustainable financing through the state budget.
This dependence raises concerns about the continuity of services and assistance if funding is delayed or donor contributions decline.
The funding gap underscores the need to strengthen the sustainability of social protection programmes by setting public spending priorities and developing financing mechanisms capable of addressing growing needs.
Coordination among the government, donors, and humanitarian organisations is also essential to ensure that available resources reach those most in need and to limit the impact of funding shortages on their living conditions.
With the 2026 Response Plan having secured less than half of the required funding, mobilising the necessary resources remains one of the main challenges to meeting humanitarian needs in Lebanon.
At the same time, the situation highlights the growing importance of moving beyond reliance on emergency assistance alone towards a more sustainable approach to social protection.
