Germany Doubles Lebanon Army Support to €10m as Families Face Displacement Crisis

More than 50,000 LAF personnel and family members were displaced following the escalation of hostilities in March 2026, with uncertainty surrounding their return.

Germany is providing an additional €5 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support Lebanon's recovery through assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), bringing its total contribution to the programme to €10 million. The funding will provide equipment for rubble and explosive ordnance removal, together with food, healthcare, education and housing support for personnel and their families.

The non-military assistance will continue through 2028, helping families cover essential needs and strengthening the LAF's capacity to make affected communities safer and more accessible. The contribution comes as the institution takes on growing responsibilities across Lebanon despite financial pressures that have persisted since 2019.

Displaced Families Face an Uncertain Return

More than 50,000 LAF personnel and family members were displaced following the escalation of hostilities in March 2026, with uncertainty surrounding their return. For those families, support for housing, food, healthcare and education addresses immediate pressures that sit alongside the demands of military service.

The LAF is also facing greater responsibilities in extending State authority in line with UN Security Council resolution 1701, adopted in 2006. Lebanon is navigating a period of transition following the adoption of resolution 2790 in 2025 to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

These overlapping demands place additional pressure on an institution expected to support stability and recovery as its own personnel cope with displacement and financial hardship.

Earlier German Funding Kept Food Within Reach

Germany has supported the UNDP programme since its launch in December 2024, with an initial €5 million contribution helping keep all 144 LAF commissaries stocked with essential food at subsidized prices. That funding also introduced point-of-sale software across the commissary network.

The programme provides a framework for non-military assistance that supports the wellbeing of approximately 81,500 service members and their families. Its practical focus connects the needs of personnel at home with the institution's ability to carry out its responsibilities in communities affected by the crisis.

The additional German contribution extends that support, combining assistance for everyday needs with equipment to help clear rubble and explosive ordnance that can obstruct safe access and recovery.

Community Trust Is Central to Recovery

"Germany's continued support sends a strong signal of solidarity at a decisive moment of transition for Lebanon," said Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Arab States.

Al Dardari highlighted the trust the Armed Forces holds across Lebanon's complex political spectrum and its role in safeguarding the country's recovery. The programme supports the LAF's civil-military cooperation, known as CIMIC, to strengthen engagement with communities and build trust in State institutions. This work connects assistance for personnel with the broader task of helping communities recover and maintain a relationship with public institutions.

UNDP implements the programme under a Memorandum of Understanding with Lebanon's Ministry of National Defense and the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon. Germany, the European Union, Spain, France, Norway, Denmark and Japan contribute to the initiative.

Separate Funding Supports Police and Public Services

The new €5 million contribution is being channelled through UNDP's Funding Window on Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience, which also provides a route for German support to other parts of Lebanon's recovery.

Through that same funding window, Germany has separately provided more than €6 million to the Stabilization Response Mechanism. This assistance supports the Internal Security Forces in South Lebanon and the restoration of essential public services, including civil registry services and traffic management.

The separate contributions address connected needs across the country: supporting armed forces personnel and their families, helping communities regain safe access, and restoring the public services people rely on in daily life.