June 11, 2026 in Lebanon: "We spent our days and nights in darkness"

By CARE Staff June 12, 2026

A woman is pouring a glass of water as her young daughter sits on the floor next to her inside an apartment.

Manal Hussein Jomaa and her daughter in the living space they share with four other families. Photo: CARE Lebanon.

Lebanon is facing one of the most severe impacts of the growing Middle East crisis, with more than 1.2 million people displaced and shelters stretched nearly to capacity. Through firsthand accounts, Dispatches from Lebanon offers an on‑the‑ground look at how fuel shortages, insecurity, and rapidly shifting conditions are shaping life for families and frontline responders.

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As the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon continues, Hovik Atamian, Assistant Country Director of CARE International in Lebanon, says the situation for vulnerable communities is getting worse.

“We are witnessing a sharp increase in humanitarian needs across shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection, food security, and livelihoods. Women, children, older persons, and people with disabilities continue to bear the heaviest burden of this crisis. The risks they face, from displacement and family separation to barriers in accessing assistance and essential services, are growing with each new escalation.”

CARE International in Lebanon is working alongside local partners to provide assistance to people like Manal Hussein Jomaa, a mother of three, who received a hygiene kit and had water filtration systems installed in her shared living space so she and her family now have clean water to drink.

A woman stands next to a box of supplies, towels and blankets with her daughter in the background. A woman is pouring a glass of water as her young daughter sits on the floor next to her inside an apartment. A woman standing next to a box of supplies. A woman standing next to boxes of supplies and aid she received from CARE.
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Dispatches from Lebanon

Manal Hussein Jomaa stands next to some of the supplies she received. She said recently she was living without a towel and had to "dry myself and my daughter using the same old piece of cloth over and over again." Photo: CARE Lebanon.

Manal Hussein Jomaa speaks about her and her family’s living situation in Lebanon and the assistance they’ve received from CARE.

“Thanks to the support provided by CARE International in Lebanon, I finally have the items I need to maintain my personal hygiene and care for my children. Receiving menstrual pads, soap, shampoo, a towel, and other hygiene supplies has made a real difference in our daily lives. It may seem small, but being able to shower properly, manage my menstrual health with dignity, and dry ourselves with a clean towel has restored a sense of normalcy and self-respect.

My daughter, my two other children, and I currently live in a single room that is less than 20 square meters. We share this cramped space with four other families. Privacy is almost nonexistent, and keeping the area clean is a constant challenge. Thanks to the cleaning supplies I received, I can now help maintain a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone living in the room.

Access to clean water and electricity was also a major challenge. In Lebanon, tap water is generally not safe to drink, and we could not afford alternative sources of drinking water. Thanks to the installation of water filtration systems supported by CARE International in Lebanon, we now have access to safe, drinkable water. This has reduced one of our daily worries and helped protect our children’s health.

Before, we also had no electricity. We spent our days and nights in darkness and endured the intense heat with no way to cool the room. Thanks to the solar panels installed with CARE’s support, we now have access to electricity. For the first time in a long time, we can use a light bulb at night and a fan during the hot summer days. These may seem like simple things, but for us, they have transformed our daily lives.”

For the first time in a long time, we can use a light bulb at night and a fan during the hot summer days. These may seem like simple things, but for us, they have transformed our daily lives.

Manal Hussein Jomaa

Mother in Lebanon who received assistance from CARE

Read the April 22, 2026 in Lebanon: In the midst of a ceasefire, families are still consumed by fear and insecurity

Lebanon is facing one of the most severe impacts of the growing Middle East crisis, with more than a million people displaced and shelters stretched nearly to capacity. Through firsthand accounts from CARE staff, Dispatches from Lebanon offers an on‑the‑ground look at how fuel shortages, insecurity, and rapidly shifting conditions are shaping life for families and frontline responders.

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