The Issue
After months of conflict in Southern Lebanon, thousands of families have returned to their homes in the South and Beqaa following the ceasefire of November 2024. Many have found their communities damaged, livelihoods disrupted, and basic services barely functioning. The situation is especially difficult for women, children, people with disabilities, and those who were already vulnerable before the crisis.
In many areas, families struggle to afford food and essential items. Schools have been disrupted, and some are located near areas contaminated by unexploded ordnance like bombs and mines, posing a serious risk to children. Without immediate assistance, these challenges threaten not only survival but also the long-term recovery and safety of returning communities.
The Project
DanChurchAid (DCA) implemented a multisectoral project that addressed both urgent needs and the foundations for recovery.
The project focused on four key areas: food security, basic assistance, education, and protection.
Through food parcels, ready-to-eat meals, and cash assistance, families received the means to meet their essential needs. Schools in high-risk areas were supported with safety awareness and education about unexploded ordnances for students and teachers. Protection services provided legal aid, psychosocial support, and safe access to shelter, with special attention to women, children, and persons with disabilities. This integrated approach ensured that displaced families returning home do so with dignity and safety, supported by the resources and knowledge needed to rebuild their lives.
The Change
The project helped conflict-affected families regain stability and hope. With access to food, cash, and essential items, households can cover their basic needs and begin to recover economically.
Children are safer and better informed about the dangers of unexploded ordnance, enabling them to attend school with greater confidence.
Through expanded protection and psychosocial services, communities has become more resilient and aware of their rights. Families and local responders have been trained to identify risks and support each other in rebuilding safer, stronger communities. Over time, this intervention contributes to restoring dignity, reducing vulnerability, and fostering a more secure and self-reliant post-conflict environment.
The Results
The project achieved significant results in both assistance and prevention. A total of 2,040 vulnerable households received cash assistance over three or six cycles, enabling families to meet essential needs, stabilize their living conditions, and reduce negative coping mechanisms.
In parallel, EORE (Explosive Ordnance Risk Education) sessions reached approximately 40,000 students in schools, significantly increasing awareness of explosive risks and promoting safer behaviour among children and adolescents.
By combining cash support with life-saving risk education, the project contributed to improved household resilience, enhanced community safety, and safer return and recovery processes in war-affected communities.
About the Project
Full Title: Responding to the post-conflict needs of returnees and IDPs by providing food security, basic assistance, education, and protection services
Timeline: February 2025 to November 2025
Amount: 1,500,000 USD
DCA Theme: Save
Number of people reached: 2,040 households (Cash) & 40,000 students (EORE)
Donor: Lebanon Humanitarian Fund
