Every year, winter puts Syrian refugees in Lebanon face to face with cold and rain, in tents and homes that protect them from neither. Winter 2026-2027 comes after a hard year. Between 2 and 27 March 2026, more than 200 thousand people crossed from Lebanon into Syria, including 180 thousand Syrians, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Those who stayed in Lebanon meet the season with fewer resources and greater needs.
Why is winter so heavy for Syrian refugees in Lebanon?
Many families live in tents and temporary homes that do not hold up for long against rain and cold. With low incomes, it is hard to buy heating fuel and winter clothes. That is why every weather depression becomes a test of shelter, health and food all at once.
Past storms show the scale of the danger. In January 2019 a snowstorm damaged more than 570 informal camps in Lebanon, and more than 22 thousand refugees were affected. The temperature in Arsal dropped to around zero, according to Al Jazeera Net. Residents asked at the time for heating fuel and plastic sheeting for the tents, the same needs that return every year.
What changed in Lebanon during 2026?
Hostilities in Lebanon escalated in early March 2026, and more than one million people were displaced inside the country. By 18 August 2026, about 860 thousand had returned to their areas, and about 360 thousand remained displaced, including 22 thousand in collective shelters. Many families still depend on rented housing, hosting or temporary shelters. That is why UNHCR stresses in the same report that return does not end humanitarian needs, and that the needs of hundreds of thousands are still great.
Meanwhile, funding remains below the need. The flash appeal for Lebanon seeks about USD 640 million for 1.4 million people, and by 2 July 2026 it had received only 38 percent of the amount. Across the region, about 3 million displaced Syrians inside and outside Syria had returned home after more than a decade of displacement, by January 2026. Even so, about 4.5 million Syrians were still in neighbouring countries on 16 January 2026, according to UN News.
What do Syrian families in Lebanon need in winter?
- Safe shelter: repairing tents and homes and insulating them from rain and cold.
- Warmth: blankets, winter clothes and coats for children.
- Heating: heaters and enough fuel for cold nights.
- Food: food baskets that help the family through the winter months.
- Health: care that protects children and older people from seasonal illnesses.
When winter in Lebanon surprises Syrian refugees with an early storm, these items become the first thing families need. The needs grow for families displaced more than once during 2026, because they lost part of their furniture and clothes with every move. That is why good winter relief starts with shelter and heating, then continues with food and health care.
How does Qatar Charity help in Lebanon?
The charity has past experience with Syrian refugees in Lebanon’s winter. In March 2020, as part of the “Haq Al-Sham” campaign, it distributed heating fuel, blankets, food rations and coats for children in northern Lebanon, benefiting 3,262 families directly and about 30 thousand refugees. That aid focused on refugees in camps and in the areas hit hardest by the cold.
Qatar Charity is present in Lebanon through its successive winter campaigns. Lebanon was among the countries of the “Keep Me Warm” campaign for winter 2022-2023. Then Lebanon became one of the priorities of the winter campaign for the 2024-2025 season, alongside Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and northern Syria, according to the campaign announcement in November 2024. In March 2026, Qatar Charity announced sending urgent aid to 40,500 displaced families in Lebanon, including more than 12 thousand food baskets, funded by the Qatar Fund for Development.
How can you share warmth with families this winter?
Your donation this season turns into a blanket, a heater or a food basket that reaches a family meeting the cold after a year on the move. Take part through the donation page. Before that, read Winter relief questions and answers, and learn about Syrian refugees in winter and the efforts for relief for Syrian refugees.
Frequently asked questions about winter for Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Why is winter hard for Syrian refugees in Lebanon?
Because many families live in tents and temporary homes, and with low incomes it is hard for them to buy heating fuel and winter clothes, so cold and rain become a danger to health and shelter.
How many Syrians left Lebanon for Syria in 2026?
Between 2 and 27 March 2026, more than 200 thousand people crossed from Lebanon into Syria, including 180 thousand Syrians, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
What has Qatar Charity provided to Syrian refugees in Lebanon in winter?
In March 2020, as part of the “Haq Al-Sham” campaign, it distributed heating fuel, blankets, food rations and coats for children in northern Lebanon, benefiting 3,262 families directly and about 30 thousand refugees.
How much funding is available for the response in Lebanon?
By 2 July 2026, the flash appeal for Lebanon had received only 38 percent of the roughly USD 640 million required to help 1.4 million people, according to the United Nations.
