LEBANON
Economic growth and development
Focus on supporting refugee and host communities in the agriculture sector, as well as vulnerable communities in the livelihoods sector
Education and capacity building
Infrastructure and equipment
Nutrition and food security
Including humanitarian assistance (food distribution)
Peace, stability, and transition
Protection
Youth empowerment
To help us continue this critical work in Lebanon, join our mission, and make a monthly donation to RET Germany today.
Lebanon, a Mediterranean country with civilizations dating back to 5,000 B.C.E., has been significantly affected by the Syrian crisis since 2011.
Lebanon hosts roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees alongside tens of thousands from other countries, making it one of the world’s highest per-capita hosts. Of these, around 750,000–760,000 are officially registered with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Since December 2024, hundreds of thousands have returned to Syria, yet around one million refugees remain.
In a country of 5.9 million, the need for humanitarian assistance – including vulnerable Lebanese – is enormous. Recent regional conflicts, especially in southern Lebanon, northern Bekaa, and southern suburbs of Beirut, have left thousands injured, many with long-term disabilities, adding pressure to an already fragile socio-economic context of political instability, weak government, high poverty and limited services. Insecurity, economic strain, inflation and declining public services have compounded hardship, creating a protracted humanitarian crisis.
RET has been active in Lebanon since 2013, implementing projects in close collaboration with local civil society organizations, notably GATE Lebanon.
Baalbek-Hermel Project (2021–2024)
RET Germany, in partnership with GATE Lebanon, supported Lebanese and Syrian refugee households, especially female-headed households, in rural Baalbek-Hermel. Communities received training, seeds, equipment and integrated pest management (IPM) to improve agricultural productivity, resilience and peaceful co-existence.
Key achievements include:
-
Supporting fruit and fish farmers, creating opportunities for local and refugee farmworkers.
-
Constructing 10.6 km (6.6 mi) of irrigation systems and 15 km (9.3 mi) of agricultural roads, improving water access and farmland connectivity for over 2,300 people.
-
Strengthening six municipalities through training on local economic planning and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investments to boost agribusiness and local development.
Akkar, North Lebanon Project (2024–2027)
This three-year project, funded by the German government’s BMZ ministry, managed through RET Germany and implemented by GATE Lebanon, is enhancing food security, livelihoods, gender equality and social cohesion in Akkar, directly benefiting 17,070 people and supporting an additional 62,280 indirectly.
Key activities include:
-
Food Security: Training 1,300 farmers in climate-smart techniques, providing tools to 1,200 farmers and improving infrastructure for 10,000 program participants.
-
Livelihoods: Vocational training for 350 women, entrepreneurship support for 220 women and business development for 50 participants.
-
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Advocacy training for 800 women, gender sessions for 300 men, cultural inclusion events for 2,000 people and legal aid for 500 women and youth.
Both projects aim to strengthen resilience, expand economic opportunities and foster social inclusion for vulnerable communities in Northern and Eastern Lebanon.
