A Bridge For is responding to the new escalation of violence in Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes after Israeli bombings on 2 March 2026 that hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, the south of the country and the Bekaa Valley.

In a matter of hours, entire communities have left their homes to seek refuge in public schools and collective facilities turned into temporary shelters. Many of these spaces are not equipped to accommodate such large numbers of people and conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

"The population most affected by the attacks is in southern Lebanon. This military action represents yet another operation against Lebanon, and it is mainly the civilian population that is paying the price,' our Head of Mission in Beirut, David Ruggini, tells us.

A WAVE OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT

The Israeli army has ordered the immediate evacuation of the entire south of Lebanon, forcing thousands of people to move within hours. Among the areas included in the evacuation order is the Palestinian camp of Shatila, where Un Ponte Per supports a community sports centre and dozens of families with its Distance Support programme.

An evacuation order of this magnitude not only represents a serious violation of international law, but also leaves the most vulnerable people - the elderly, the sick, people with disabilities and families without the means to travel - unprotected, exacerbating an already acute humanitarian crisis.

This new escalation is part of an extremely unstable regional context, marked by growing tensions between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah, and risks further escalating the conflict.

Since 2023, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have had devastating consequences for the civilian population and for the country's infrastructure, which has faced a series of crises in recent years, from the Beirut port explosion of 2020, to UNRWA cuts, to the economic crisis with the subsequent collapse of essential services for the population.

OUR INTERVENTION IN THE FIELD

Un Ponte Per is present in Lebanon and is working with local partners to support displaced people who have found refuge in schools and community centres, where needs are growing rapidly.

Emergency activities include the distribution of essential goods such as family hygiene kits, nappies, water, food and sleeping materials such as mattresses and blankets, to improve living conditions in shelters and support families forced to flee.

A BRIDGE TO LEBANON

Un Ponte Per has been present in Lebanon since 1997, when it started working in the Palestinian refugee camps to guarantee the right to education and health to Palestinian children and refugees from Syria. In the wake of the humanitarian emergencies that have swept through the country, UPP has supported the local organisations with which it has been working for years in strengthening the response and distributing essential aid. Alongside local movements and realities, UPP works to support the difficult process of rebuilding social cohesion following the civil war that bloodied the country for 15 years, promoting the participation of young people and women in peace-building processes.