Research Terms of Reference: Humanitarian Situation Monitoring of hard-to-reach conflict-affected areas in Lebanon – LBN2601 (March 2026, V 1)

Countries: Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic Source: REACH Initiative Please refer to the attached file. 2. Rationale Since 2 March 2026, Lebanon has been facing a sharp and rapidly deteriorating escalation of hostilities, marking the most serious deterioration in security conditions since the November 2024 ceasefire. Airstrikes have expanded well beyond the southern border, reaching densely populated areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and Baalbek.2 According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, the escalation had resulted in over 600 deaths and at least 1,580 injuries by 11 March — with children accounting for 20% of casualties in the first week alone.3 As of 13 March, IOM reported that nearly one million people have been forced to flee their homes — a figure that continues to rise daily.4 Evacuation orders have affected over 100 towns and villages in the south, the Bekaa Valley, and parts of Beirut sub-urbs. In parallel, approximately 100,000 Syrians and Lebanese have crossed into Syria since the escalation began. Despite the scale of displacement, a critical information gap remains around populations who have not fled. Significant numbers of people remain in conflict-affected cadasters, unable or unwilling to leave due to physical barriers, lack of resources, care responsibilities, or other reasons. These individuals are among the most exposed to the conflict's impact, yet they remain largely invisible to the humanitarian response. As a result, there is very little reliable, up-to-date information on the situation inside hard to reach conflict-affected areas: the extent to which basic services remain functional, what people's most pressing needs are, and whether any assistance is reaching them at all. The situation is compounded by Lebanon’s pre-existing vulner...

Original source: Relief Web