Middle East
From shelter in Lebanon to cash assistance in Iran, see how your generosity is delivering life-saving aid across the region.
Families across the Middle East are fleeing their homes amid violence, airstrikes and insecurity.
Across the region, neighbourhoods are being torn apart as people are forced to leave everything behind. Homes, roads and essential infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed, cutting communities off from water, healthcare and other basic services. With livelihoods disrupted, many families are struggling to afford essentials like rent, food and medicine.
In this moment of crisis, your support is delivering life-saving aid to those who need it most, from a safe place to sleep to a comforting voice on the helpline.
Across Lebanon, ongoing airstrikes have forced more than a million people from their homes. Many are now sheltering in temporary sites, where overcrowding is making conditions increasingly difficult. Families often share limited space, with little privacy and very few basic supplies.
Dawla and her sick mother are among those now staying in a school. Where children once sat learning, desks have been pushed aside to make room for displaced families.
With your help, families like Dawla’s are receiving essential items such as blankets, mattresses, solar lamps and hygiene kits. These help create a safer and more liveable space, offering comfort and stability during an uncertain time.
At the same time, UNHCR is working with partners to improve living conditions inside shelters. This includes repairing damaged spaces, creating partitions for privacy and upgrading facilities to make them safer for women, children and older people.
In Iran, UNHCR remains deeply concerned for the safety of civilians as well as refugees. More than 1.6 million people live as refugees in Iran, mostly from Afghanistan. Airstrikes have had a devastating effect on the country. In many places everyday life is at a standstill and many people aren’t able to work. This means they can’t afford essentials like food, medicine and transport.
People are reaching out to UNHCR each day, sharing the pressure they are under as they try to cope.
Hamid* is an Afghan refugee and father living in Iran. He has diabetes and relies on insulin to stay well. But since the conflict escalated, he has been unable to find work and can no longer afford to support his family or pay for his medication.
“I have to look for work every day, but because of the current situation I cannot find any job. I do not know how to cover my family’s basic expenses anymore.”
Through your generosity, UNHCR is providing emergency cash to people like Hamid, helping them pay for essentials such as rent, food and healthcare.
*Name changed for protection reasons
For some families, staying in one place is not possible.
Omar knows this all too well. After fleeing war in Syria, he rebuilt his life in Lebanon with his three children. But when nearby buildings were hit by shelling, they were forced to leave again.
With nowhere safe to go, they slept on the streets before returning to Syria in search of stability.
“My children grew up knowing nothing but war,” he says. “I wish for goodness and peace for everyone.”
Omar is not alone. Thousands of people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria in search of safety, some returning home, others simply trying to escape the violence.
At key border crossings, UNHCR teams are there to support people on the move, providing water, emergency supplies, transport and information to help families reach safer destinations. Many also receive referrals to access further assistance once they arrive at their destination.
Your support is helping people navigate these journeys with greater safety and dignity, even in the most uncertain circumstances.
Right now, your generosity is delivering life-changing support for people across the Middle East.
From Iran to Lebanon and Syria, your gift is helping those forced to flee escape violence, find safer shelter and survive in extremely difficult conditions. Because of you, UNHCR has:
Thank you for your generosity at this critical time. If you’d like to help more families receive urgent support, please donate here.