Syrian children are looking out of a tent in a refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley.

    Support during the crisis

    Since the beginning of the refugee crisis, Germany has been supporting Lebanon in its efforts to meet these challenges. The support is aimed at both refugees and especially vulnerable communities. Project examples for German activities in Lebanon include:

    1. Education opportunities for Syrian refugees and vulnerable communities:

    To enable children, especially refugee children, in vulnerable communities to attend school the BMZ provided funding via UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) for the schooling of 190,000 Lebanese and Syrian children in the 2023/24 school year and for the salaries of teachers for Syrian children. In addition, another programme element will be piloted in 2025 to support children who are returning to Syria. It will provide information on education programmes and make it easier for children to meet the requirements for returning to school.

    2. Job creation and infrastructure rehabilitation:

    Several projects are creating short-term and medium-term income-generating opportunities and facilitating training courses for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese people in host communities. This supports the people concerned through a time of need and provides them with social protection. In order to lessen the pressure on local infrastructure, people are, for example, employed to work on rehabilitating water pipes, repairing public buildings or supporting waste collection. By ensuring that this work brings together refugees and local people from host communities and that both groups benefit from using the facilities that are rehabilitated, this can enhance social cohesion.In these efforts, the BMZ partners with UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO), among others. Some 25,700 short-term jobs were thus created in Lebanon in 2024 alone.

    3. Housing:

    Over 15,500 housing units for more than 55,000 refugees and vulnerable people are being rehabilitated. Another nearly 20,000 people have received assistance to help them pay their rent. Municipal infrastructure improvements (water supply, road construction, waste management) have been carried out in 24 communities.