It’s rainy and cold along the waterfront of Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon. Despite being a school day, there are dozens of children walking up and down the ‘corniche’ with piles of CDs in their hands. Every minute or so they approach a passerby, sometimes a local, sometimes a tourist, to see if they are interested in buying a CD. Almost everyone says no.    Thirteen-year-old Bilal* has been working on the streets of Tripoli for the past two years. Originally from Aleppo, he would work 12 hours a day to bring in cash to support his family.

Since the battle to retake the city of Mosul from ISIS began in October, over one million people have been forced to flee their homes. Hundreds of thousands are still living in the city, including many from west Mosul who fled to neighbourhoods in the east. They are in desperate need of food, clean water, shelter, medical care and other support. Over 325,000 people who fled the city are now enduring the summer heat in camps. Here’s what you need to know about the crisis.

More than 10 months since the closure of borders across the Balkans and introduction of the European Union (EU) – Turkey deal, refugees continue to take increasingly dangerous sea and land journeys, putting their lives in the hands of smugglers, in order to reach safety in Europe. Once stranded in Greece or along the Balkan route, many endure life in substandard conditions, in winter, without adequate information about their rights or available services and support, waiting to complete their asylum, family reunification or relocation procedures, with an increasingly uncertain future. Already this year, five refugees have died as a result of the winter conditions and dangerous routes within Europe.

While systematic evidence on violence against LGBTQI people in conflict and humanitarian settings is limited, local LGBTQI serving organisations and international humanitarian organisations have documented and exposed the threats to the physical and psychological safety, human rights, health, and economic security of LGBTQI individuals as they navigate conflict and displacement. Nevertheless, humanitarian responses continue to exclude LGBTQI people and communities, subjecting them to even higher risk of harm. In an effort to improve our approach as a humanitarian agency to reach, support, and advocate with and for LGBTQI people affected by humanitarian crises, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) undertook research to better understand the experiences of LGBTQI people in conflict and humanitarian settings.