Beyond Borders: How the Lebanese diaspora mobilises in times of crisis

The Danish Refugee Council Lebanon and DEMAC - Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination initiative launch this report on the Lebanese diaspora efforts to respond to the escalating crisis in Lebanon since autumn 2024.

When the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in late September 2024, Lebanon was once again thrust into turmoil. The airstrikes that struck densely populated areas, along with ground incursions in the country’s south, left behind a devastating toll: over 4,000 lives lost, more than 16,000 injured, and 1.5 million people displaced within weeks. In a country already grappling with a prolonged economic crisis, the humanitarian needs quickly became overwhelming.

By the time the ceasefire came into effect on November 27, 2024, the situation had already spiraled into one of the largest internal displacements in Lebanon’s recent history. Yet the end of active fighting did not mark the end of suffering. As nearly 800,000 people began returning to their communities, they found homes uninhabitable and essential services out of reach.

As the dust settled and a fragile ceasefire took hold in late November, another force quietly began to rise again: the Lebanese diaspora.

Real-Time Study in 2024 and 2025: Understanding the Response of the Lebanese Diaspora

This Real-Time Review (RTR), covering the period from September 2024 to February 2025, offers a window into how the Lebanese diaspora mobilised rapidly to deliver aid and support recovery efforts. Through extensive research and interviews, it tells the story of a community scattered across the globe but united by deep ties to home - and a profound sense of responsibility.

To capture this effort, the RTR followed a two-step approach: first, mapping 140 diaspora-led initiatives identified through global desk research; and second, conducting in-depth interviews with 21 organisations, both in the diaspora and inside Lebanon, to understand how they operated, collaborated, and adapted.