Lebanon: as Families Return, Hidden Dangers Await Them

Since 2 March 2026, escalating hostilities in Lebanon forced one-fifth of the country’s population to flee their homes, leaving behind their belongings with worries of whether they can ever return to their lives as they were before. Since then, more than 2,700 civilians have been killed and over 8,300 injured. Civilian and critical infrastructure such as homes and bridges have left many with more questions of what the future holds for them. 

Cycles of displacement have become a harsh reality, with families moving back and forth in search of safety, often returning to damaged or unstable areas with little information about the risks they face.  

While the current ceasefire has resulted in many returning to their homes, the danger has not passed. With successive conflicts in Lebanon, a key risk that always outlives the conflict is the existence of explosive ordnances (EOs) and the danger they pose to community members. The recent escalation is no exception. With unexploded ordnance and other remnants of conflict remaining scattered across fields, roads, under rubble and in residential areas, returning families run the risk of facing further harm, with or without a ceasefire.  

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been on the ground in Lebanon, working with local partner organisations such as Beeatoona to provide explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) to those who have been displaced, ensuring they have adequate awareness of how to identify risks in order to prevent further harm. 

As the conflict dynamics shift and families move back to their areas of origin, the pressure to return quickly often outweighs access to essential and life-saving safety information. In contaminated areas, particularly in southern Lebanon, everyday activities such as farming, collecting firewood, or even children playing outside can become deadly. This leaves many families living not only with uncertainty, but also with continuous threats lurking in the shadows. 

This lack of awareness compounds existing protection risks. Families already coping with loss, economic hardship, and instability are now exposed to invisible threats that can cause serious injury or death. Children are among the most at risk, often unaware of the dangers posed by unfamiliar objects. Their curiosity can leave a lasting and deadly legacy. 

Since April 2026, DRC has been working closely with Beeatoona, providing critical EORE awareness sessions to IDPs in collective shelters across the country and providing leaflets to displaced families and host communities – created by Lebanon’s Mine Action Centre (LMAC). As a result, awareness levels amongst displaced families increased prior to further movement or their return. 

EORE equips communities with the knowledge to recognise, avoid, and report explosive hazards. In Lebanon’s current context, organisations stress that these sessions should be an essential component of the response. Community-based awareness sessions, school outreach, and targeted messaging help ensure that returnees can make informed decisions and protect themselves and their families. Additionally, provision of leaflets and awareness raising sessions ensure the knowledge shared is passed onto other internally displaced persons who may be at risk of coming face-to-face with EOs but lack the awareness of identifying the risks. 

Local organizations are at the forefront of delivering this life-saving information. Their access to communities and understanding of local dynamics allows them to reach those most at risk, including newly returned families and those in hard-to-reach areas. 

However, partners highlight significant gaps in coverage. Limited resources and funding coupled with the high needs on the ground and the pace of returns mean that many communities are not receiving timely EORE. “We are seeing people return before any sessions take place. This is where the risk is highest,” a staff member from Beeatoona explained. 

As returns and movements continue, the window to prevent harm is narrowing. Partners are calling for immediate and sustained investment in explosive ordnance risk education across affected areas in Lebanon. Integrating EORE into return planning and protection responses is critical to reducing risk and safeguarding communities. 

For DRC and its partners, helping families return home safely is a key priority, and EORE plays a vital role in that effort. However, more support is urgently needed to facilitate this. As families have begun returning to areas still contaminated by explosive remnants of war, we are calling on the international community to increase and sustain funding for life-saving awareness programmes. Without immediate action, more communities will be exposed to preventable harm at a time when they are already trying to recover and rebuild their lives.