Shelter, Psychosocial Support, Solidarity – A Blueprint for Recovery in Lebanon

In the fall of 2024, Lebanon faced its most devastating conflict since the 2006 war. Entire communities were displaced overnight, leaving behind belongings and memories of a life now shattered. Hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals sought shelter in schools, community centres and other public spaces across Lebanon.

Amid the chaos and uncertainty, with the support of the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with local partners, implemented a series of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions in collective shelters across the country aimed at restoring a sense of normalcy and community for those impacted by the conflict. These sessions became a lifeline for displaced and host community members alike, providing a safe space to process their emotions and begin the difficult journey of rebuilding their lives.

For Amal*, a 35-year-old woman from Nabatieh, South Lebanon, the sessions IOM’s local partner SHEILD provided were transformative. After fleeing to the Lebanese International College shelter in Saida, she struggled with isolation and grief. “Before attending the sessions, I was very lonely. I didn’t want to get along with anyone. I felt like no one would understand what I was going through,” Amal shared.

Like many others displaced in the shelter, Amal was weighed down by the heavy burden of loss. Through group activities and peer support, participants realized they were not alone in their suffering. “Day after day, I felt that I was not alone, and the other displaced people in the shelters were like me. You have no idea how much comfort I felt after the sessions and after meeting all those people,” Amal said with a smile.

Inspired by the sense of community fostered through the sessions, Amal and a group of residents decided to form a committee within the shelter. They divided tasks among themselves—some took charge of cleaning, others cooked meals for everyone. This newfound sense of purpose and solidarity strengthened bonds and gave the shelter residents a feeling of autonomy amongst uncertainty, and ownership over their living situation. “The feeling of belonging is really satisfying,” Amal said.

At another shelter, an 18-year-old girl from Al Taibeh, a border village in South Lebanon, was displaced multiple times to find safety and comfort. “Changing shelters was devastating. I wasn’t able to communicate with anyone. I was not able to sleep, eat or do anything. I felt that the world would just end,” she recalled.

“Attending [MHPSS] sessions was like the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “It made me feel that life will go on, and it did not end. I was able to sort out everything in my head in a way that helped me deal with [my thoughts]. I knew that I was in control of my happiness, of my entire life.”

The impact of the sessions extended beyond the shelters. Members of the local host community, initially curious about the activities taking place inside, began to join as well. Their participation bridged divides and built connections between displaced individuals and their hosts.

One woman from Hasbaya, a host community near a collective shelter, thanked IOM for the opportunity to attend MHPSS sessions at a shelter near her. “[Although] we are still living in our houses, seeing all those people around us suffering was not easy,” she said.

“These sessions made us think in a different way about everything,” the woman from Hasbaya continued. “We met new people, putting ourselves in their places—and it was not easy. Now, we became friends, and will always remember that in these hard times, those sessions were the only way for us to release our emotions and return home feeling fresh and renewed ” she added.

For many, the sessions provided more than just psychological relief—they fostered a sense of belonging and a renewed hope for the future. The youth who formed committees in the shelters began to take ownership of their space, building routines that brought stability to their lives. As Amal put it: “The sessions gave us something more than just support. They gave us a community. We’re no longer just surviving—we’re living together, helping each other, and finding ways to move forward.”

With the support of the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), IOM and its partners are able to create environments where individuals and communities can start to heal and rebuild.

*Names changed for privacy.