IOM
UN migration agency coordinating humanitarian response to the Lebanon displacement crisis.
Last refreshed: 12 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is nearly one in five Lebanese people now displaced from their homes?
Timeline for IOM
Mentioned in: 36th Division doubles Lebanon force
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: One in five Lebanese now displaced
Iran Conflict 2026- How many people have been displaced in Lebanon because of the war?
- Over 1,049,328 people, roughly 19% of Lebanon's population, including 300,000 children. IOM appealed for $19 million in aid.Source: iran-conflict-2026 update 40
- What is the IOM doing in Lebanon during the Iran-Israel war?
- IOM is tracking displacement, running emergency shelter programmes, and raising funds for the 1 million+ displaced.Source: iran-conflict-2026 update 40
- Is the IOM part of the United Nations?
- Yes. IOM became a UN-related organisation in 2016, having originally been established independently in 1951.Source: IOM About page
Background
The International Organization for Migration issued an emergency appeal for $19 million in early 2026 as Lebanese displacement surpassed 1,049,328 people, equivalent to 19% of the country's entire population. More than 300,000 children were among those displaced, with over 130,000 sheltering in collective sites.
IOM is the principal UN agency for migration and displacement, established in 1951 and joining the UN system in 2016. It operates in over 175 countries and specialises in displacement tracking, emergency shelter, and assisted voluntary return programmes. Lebanon has been an active IOM operational theatre since the 2006 conflict and again during the 2023-2024 Hezbollah-Israel exchange that preceded the wider 2026 war.
The scale of Lebanese displacement in 2026 presents IOM with one of its largest single-country emergencies in the Middle East since the Syrian crisis. The $19 million appeal covers emergency non-food items and shelter for the most vulnerable. Underfunding of such appeals historically forces agencies to triage, leaving the least-accessible displaced populations without aid.
