The Lebanese NGOs Network in Lebanon and the Follow-up Committee of Lebanese and Palestinian Civil Society Organizations convened on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, at Amel International Association, in light of the dangerous escalation and recent developments unfolding in Lebanon, which pose a direct threat to civilian lives, social stability, and public security.
The General Coordinator of the Network, Dr. Kamel Mohanna, delivered a statement on behalf of the participants, stressing that Lebanon, already burdened by severe economic and social crises, cannot withstand another round of violence that would force more families into displacement and deepen the suffering of the most vulnerable groups, at a time when hundreds of thousands of Lebanese are living under harsh humanitarian conditions.
The statement emphasized that protecting civilians and safeguarding their fundamental rights, foremost among them the right to life, safety, and dignity, must remain the absolute priority at this stage. It called for strict adherence to international humanitarian law, particularly the obligation to spare civilians and all health, humanitarian, and essential service facilities from military operations.
Participants urged the international community and concerned organizations to exert pressure on Israel to refrain from targeting hospitals, health centers, shelters, schools, and civilian infrastructure, as such acts constitute flagrant violations of international law and endanger thousands of innocent lives. They further called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories.
The participants stressed the need to strengthen three fundamental pillars of response to the emerging crisis:
First, mass-casualty preparedness, through the adoption of effective triage systems, strengthening hospital surge capacity, organizing referral pathways, activating emergency coordination mechanisms, and conducting regular drills and simulations to ensure rapid and organized response.
Second, mass-displacement preparedness, by ensuring continuity of health, social, and psychosocial services for families forced to leave their homes, particularly patients with chronic illnesses such as those requiring dialysis or cancer treatment, as well as maternal and child health services, and ensuring access to essential medicines and primary healthcare, in order to prevent displacement from evolving into an additional public health crisis.
Third, sound logistical management, by forecasting needs in advance and securing supply chains to prevent shortages of food, medicines, and essential medical and non-medical supplies, thereby avoiding the collapse of services under increased demand.
In this context, participants issued an urgent funding appeal to the international community, donors, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations to secure the financial resources necessary to immediately meet the needs of displaced populations, ensure sustainable financing for emergency and primary healthcare services, and establish flexible and rapid financing mechanisms allowing immediate disbursement of emergency funds when required. They warned that any delay in financial support would exacerbate humanitarian suffering and place thousands of patients, wounded individuals, and displaced persons at direct risk.
The statement further underscored the necessity of ensuring fair and transparent distribution of humanitarian assistance, strengthening principles of good governance and accountability at all stages of response, and supporting comprehensive responses that respect human rights, equality, and non-discrimination. It called for the adoption of effective aid-tracking systems from allocation to final delivery, the publication of regular public reports on expenditures, geographic coverage, and beneficiaries, and the organization of independent monitoring visits to enhance public trust and prevent perceptions of favoritism or corruption.
Participants emphasized the importance of avoiding fragmentation or duplication in emergency response efforts among ministries, municipalities, civil society organizations, and international agencies, and ensuring effective coordination and regular information-sharing to prevent inefficiency, unequal coverage, or delays in assistance delivery, and to enhance the overall effectiveness of humanitarian action during this critical period.
The statement affirmed that institutions operating under the Network’s umbrella across Lebanon will mobilize all available capacities to meet community needs and safeguard human dignity, each according to its mandate and capabilities. These institutions will work in a spirit of complementarity and shared responsibility through a unified emergency plan, in close cooperation with the Ministries of Public Health and Social Affairs, as well as other relevant ministries, municipalities, and key stakeholders, to ensure a coordinated and equitable response centered on people and aimed at preventing further social deterioration.
The Network called for the broadest forms of national solidarity and strengthened coordination between governmental bodies, civil society organizations, and international actors to guarantee a swift and just humanitarian response that preserves dignity and prevents deeper social collapse.
The statement concluded by affirming that civil society organizations will remain, as they always have, alongside the people, expressing their suffering, defending their rights, and working hand in hand with all active forces to protect human dignity in Lebanon, because human dignity must never become a casualty of conflict.
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