As the war continues to displace families across Lebanon, RMF has scaled up its emergency response in North Lebanon and Akkar, two of the areas absorbing the heaviest influx of displaced families seeking safety away from the front lines.
Between April and May 2026, RMF distributed 38,000 hot meals across 14 collective shelters, reaching displaced families with roughly 850 meals every day. For many of these families, sheltering in schools, community centers, and other makeshift spaces, a warm meal is more than a plate of food, it is one less thing to worry about in a day already defined by uncertainty and loss.
But food alone does not address the full weight of what displacement does to a family. Alongside meal distribution, RMF has been providing psychosocial support (PSS) for children and their parents, recognizing that the trauma of fleeing home, of nights interrupted by fear, and of routines shattered overnight leaves marks that are not always visible. Through structured PSS activities, RMF’s teams are working to give children space to process what they are living through, while also supporting parents who are holding their families together under extraordinary strain.
RMF has also distributed hygiene kits to displaced households across the shelters, addressing a basic but often overlooked need: the ability to maintain dignity and health in crowded, temporary living conditions.
None of this work happens in isolation. RMF’s emergency response has been made possible through close coordination with a network of partners on the ground, including UNHCR, the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF), OCHA, Islamic Relief USA, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), IOM, and UNICEF. This collective effort reflects what humanitarian response in Lebanon has always required: a coordinated web of local and international actors working together, each filling gaps the others cannot reach alone.
Moreover, RMF maintains an active presence in southern Lebanon, working across four villages — Jdaydit Marjayoun, Debl, Qolaya, and Bourj el Moulouk. Through the support of the Lebanese diaspora, channeled via RMF USA, RMF is distributing cash vouchers to families affected by the crisis in these communities. These vouchers are redeemable exclusively at local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), creating a dual impact: they meet the immediate needs of vulnerable households while simultaneously injecting much-needed liquidity into the local economy. In doing so, RMF not only cushions the direct effects of displacement and hardship on affected families, but also helps sustain the small businesses that form the backbone of these communities’ economic resilience.
As the situation continues to evolve, RMF remains present in North Lebanon, Akkar, and South Lebanon, adapting its response to the needs of displaced families. Because behind every number — from the 38,000 meals served, to the 1,834 vouchers distributed, to every hygiene kit handed over — is a family trying to hold on to some sense of normalcy in the middle of war.
