In its first emergency distribution since the escalation of conflict on March 2nd, CARE staff dispense 450 bottles of water to internally displaced people in Beirut. All photos by CARE France.
March 5, 2026: CARE distributes bottles of water to internally displaced people in Beirut
CARE International Lebanon’s Country Director, Michael Adams, shares an account of what it’s currently like to be in the country.
“Panic is spreading across Lebanon. After days of people fleeing the south of the country and an unprecedent mass evacuation order in the whole southern part of the country this morning — this afternoon a third of Beirut, the most densely populated areas of the city (700 000 people), has now also been placed under a total evacuation order.
Homes, hospitals, and collective shelters are being evacuated as quickly as possible. The two main roads to escape are completely blocked. Cars are moving at a snail’s pace. The situation is chaotic. People are afraid, panicking.”
Lebanon is facing one of the most severe impacts of the growing Middle East crisis, with more than 600,000 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.