In just two weeks, an estimated one million people have been displaced across Lebanon as conflict escalates, one of the fastest displacement crises the country has ever faced.
Families are fleeing with little more than the clothes they are wearing, seeking shelter in schools, unfinished buildings, overcrowded homes, or sleeping in cars and on the streets.
The situation in Lebanon is part of a wider escalation following the outbreak of conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, with communities across multiple countries affected. Within this, the impact in Lebanon is both immediate and severe.
GiveOut has long-standing partnerships with LGBTQI organisations in Lebanon, where a vibrant and resilient movement has taken root despite significant challenges. These organisations play a critical role, not only in supporting their communities day to day, but in responding when crisis hits.
Unequal Impact in Times of Crisis
In any humanitarian emergency, those already marginalised are often the most at risk.
For LGBTQI people in Lebanon, displacement and insecurity bring additional layers of danger. Same-sex intimacy remains criminalised under Article 534 of Lebanon’s Penal Code, and LGBTQI people continue to face discrimination and restrictions on gender expression, shaping how safely individuals can access support in times of crisis.
Crises like this often deepen existing inequalities, especially for LBTQ women who already face heightened barriers to safety, support, and visibility.
When emergency responses are not inclusive, people can face exclusion from shelters, exposure to violence and harassment, and barriers to healthcare and psychosocial support.
Many are forced to make impossible choices, whether to risk discrimination in public shelters or remain in unsafe environments. Previous crises in Lebanon have shown that systems built around traditional family structures often exclude LGBTQI people altogether.
These risks are compounded by Lebanon’s broader social and economic context. LGBTQI people, particularly trans individuals and refugees, already face significant barriers to safety, livelihoods, and services. In times of war, those pressures intensify rapidly.
Local LGBTQI Organisations on the Frontline
It is local LGBTQI organisations that are responding directly to these challenges.
Helem, Lebanon’s oldest and largest LGBTQI organisation, is working to provide inclusive emergency shelter, maintain its community centre as a safe crisis hub, and deliver vital services including helplines, referrals, and psychosocial support.
As Helem shared with GiveOut:
“In moments like these, our community centre becomes a critical safe space where people can access support, feel safe, and coordinate a response through trusted, community-led networks.”
Qorras, an organisation focused on supporting trans communities, is continuing its work under extremely difficult conditions. Staff and their families have been displaced, daily life is shaped by ongoing insecurity, and programmes have been disrupted.
As Qorras shared:
“The need will only grow as this crisis progresses. We are already using what little resources we have to support people with medical and basic livelihood needs, but it is only a small relief compared to the scale of what is happening.”
Despite this, support is still reaching those who need it most.
Lebanon remains one of the few countries in the region where LGBTQI organisations are able to operate openly and build community infrastructure. Protecting and sustaining this work is vital, both for those affected by the current crisis and for the future of the movement in the region.
Alongside their emergency response, Helem is also advocating for more inclusive humanitarian systems, calling on the Lebanese government and international actors to ensure that emergency plans are inclusive of LGBTQI people and grounded in dignity and non-discrimination.
Their recommendations include improving access to safe shelter, training frontline responders, and ensuring LGBTQI organisations are involved in the design and delivery of humanitarian responses.
This builds on Helem’s wider work in Lebanon, including challenging restrictions on LGBTQI gatherings and advocating for safer digital and physical spaces for the community.
Rapid Response Through the LGBTQI Emergency Fund
When crises hit, speed and flexibility are critical.
GiveOut established the LGBTQI Emergency Fund in 2020 to ensure that resources can be quickly directed to trusted local partners when they are needed most.
Since it was founded, the Fund has supported responses to emergencies across five continents. This has included support for LGBTQI communities during COVID-19, rebuilding LGBTQI spaces after a volcanic eruption in Tonga, emergency response and evacuation efforts in Ukraine and Afghanistan, and support for LGBTQI communities in the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Melissa.
In response to the escalating situation in Lebanon, GiveOut has already mobilised emergency funding to support both Helem and Qorras, helping to expand safe shelter, sustain essential services, and provide urgent assistance.
This kind of rapid support is only possible because funds have been raised in advance and are ready to be deployed when emergencies arise.
As the crisis continues, the need for flexible, immediate funding is only increasing. And what is happening in Lebanon reflects a broader new reality.
Across the world, LGBTQI communities are increasingly impacted by overlapping crises, from conflict and displacement to economic instability, and climate-related disasters. In each case, those already marginalised face the greatest risks.
Local organisations remain at the heart of the response, providing safety, protection, and connection for their communities.
A Call to Action
Today, LGBTQI communities in Lebanon are navigating the impacts of war alongside the inequalities they already face.
Organisations like Helem and Qorras are continuing to respond, adapt, and support their communities under extraordinary pressure.
Donate to GiveOut’s LGBTQI Emergency Fund today to help ensure that funding is available not only for this crisis, but for those to come, so that wherever and whenever LGBTQI communities are at risk, support can reach them quickly.
Because in times of crisis, solidarity is a lifeline.