Lebanon: MSF boosts emergency operations in south amid recovery phase and ongoing attacks
Since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel first came into effect on Nov. 27, Israeli forces have continued to engage in military operations in southern Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of people have returned to their homes and villages in the area. Many of them saw their homes destroyed by the Israeli bombardment and remain displaced. Others are still unable to return home due to the continued Israeli military presence in their towns and villages. Both returning and displaced communities are facing significant challenges accessing medical care due to damaged infrastructure, understaffed health facilities and the costs of medical treatment, which has been unaffordable to many since they lost their livelihoods during the past months of war.
In response, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has expanded our activities in southern Lebanon over the past 60 days, sending three mobile medical teams to 11 towns in the Nabatieh governorate. This is in addition to two mobile medical teams which already visit towns in the South governorate. These teams are providing essential medical services to address critical healthcare gaps in some of the worst affected areas.
“Throughout the ceasefire since November and still today, Israeli forces continue to open fire, carry out strikes and demolish civilian infrastructure, causing daily devastation and civilian casualties in southern Lebanon,” says Francois Zamparini, MSF emergency coordinator in the country. “The hardships of these communities are greatly aggravated; people are already struggling to cope with their losses and the impact of the war.” Vulnerable communities, like refugees and migrant workers, face even greater challenges.
“Any escalation of violence or breaches of the ceasefire would further jeopardize the health and wellbeing of thousands of families in southern Lebanon who have already lost so much.”
Francois Zamparini, MSF emergency coordinator in Lebanon

According to the Ministry of Public Health, 83 people have been killed and at least 228 others have been injured by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the announced ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024.
“The scale of the destruction is massive. Towns have been reduced to rubble, with homes, schools, and farmlands wiped out,” says Zamparini. Over 90,000 structures – including homes, businesses, agricultural facilities, schools, and water infrastructure – have been damaged or destroyed by the bombardment across the country, according to the United Nations Development Programme. “MSF is committed to supporting the people during this recovery period and ensuring that they are not left without essential medical care as they start to rebuild their lives.”
Our mobile medical teams – now 15 across the country – provide primary healthcare services, medications for chronic illnesses, health education, mental health support and post-operative nursing care.
From the announcement of the ceasefire in November 2024 till Jan. 15, 2025, MSF teams in southern Lebanon have provided over 19,000 general medical consultations, conducted 3,427 health awareness and education sessions and supported over 3,000 individuals with mental health services – and this essential work continues. Patients with complicated medical conditions are referred to the Public Emergency Turkish Hospital in Saida city, where MSF is working in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health to deliver free, high-quality trauma, emergency and surgical care.
Beyond healthcare, MSF is also addressing immediate humanitarian needs across the country. In the heavily bombarded Bint Jbeil district, we are donating essential relief items. We have already delivered 7,000 blankets, 4,000 mattresses, 5,820 hygiene kits, as well as 2,015 floor mats and other necessities to support the war-affected communities as they rebuild their lives. Our teams are also actively coordinating with several affected hospitals in the area to offer support, such as donating fuel and medical items and training medical staff to deal with emergencies.
“Serious efforts must be made to ensure safety for civilians, healthcare facilities and staff,” says Zamparini. “Any escalation of violence or breaches of the ceasefire would further jeopardize the health and wellbeing of thousands of families in southern Lebanon who have already lost so much.”
Our work in Lebanon
MSF is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that provides assistance and free healthcare to people in need, regardless of who they are or where they live. We first began to work in Lebanon in 1976 and our teams have worked in the country without interruption since 2008.
In 2024, with the intensification of Israeli bombardment and ground incursions, MSF scaled up our support across the country, sending 22 mobile medical units to shelters and heavily war-affected areas such as Beirut, Baalbek-Hermel and southern Lebanon. As well as providing trauma care, we supported local hospitals by delivering training for mass casualty response and supplying thousands of tons of medical and relief materials to enhance their capacity.
MSF also continued to operate and provide healthcare at our fixed clinics across the country. Our teams provided care for chronic diseases, offered pediatric and reproductive healthcare and provided mental health services.