International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The IRC in Lebanon

Photo: Peter Biro/IRC

The International Rescue Committee launched support for Syrian refugees in Lebanon in the fall of 2012. More than 150,000 Syrians have poured into the country since the start of the Syrian conflict in March 2011. Many fled with nothing more than the clothes they wore. There are no formal camps in Lebanon, and Syrian refugees live in apartments, formerly abandoned buildings, and tents. The vast majority have little financial, material, or emotional support, and that is where the IRC has stepped in to help.

The Latest

How We Help

The IRC has opened two centers that focus on the broad needs of Syrian refugee women and girls. Many experienced emotional and physical trauma in Syria, and face a new set of challenges as refugees. Another two centers are opening in 2013.

The IRC’s women’s centers provide a safe space for women and girls to gather, to share information on support available to them, and to receive emotional support and crisis counseling.

The IRC provides financial and material support for the most vulnerable refugees, specifically women and girls.

The IRC is launching economic programs that are aimed at providing refugees with cash that will allow them to buy essential items as they get settled.