A blog by Jana Nasr, Humanitarian Programme Coordinator (MENA), ACT Alliance
The Arab region is once again being scarred by violence that is difficult to put into words.
From Gaza to Beirut, from the Gulf to Syria, civilians continue to bear the heaviest cost of conflicts they did not choose to be a part of. Entire communities are being displaced and remain at risk of further targeting as cycles of violence continue to intensify.
As humanitarians, we are witnessing not only the scale of the destruction but the toll this violence is having across a region already stretched beyond its limits.
The latest escalation in Lebanon has brought that reality painfully close to home. Residents of the capital, Beirut, including myself and my family, were awoken at 3 am on Monday by the sound of multiple explosions as airstrikes hit three locations in the southern suburbs. Windows shook. Families woke in panic, searching for safety in the darkness and trying to reach relatives in the Gulf who had left in search of a better future, only to hear the same devastating explosions echoing across their skylines.
For many, the trauma was not new — only returning, raw and familiar. Across southern Lebanon, the devastation has been even more severe. Warplanes were heard overhead as bombs struck wide areas, including villages near Tyre.
But how can this suffering be normal? There is nothing normal about waking up to bombs, losing loved ones, or wondering whether there will be a home left to return to.Jana Nasr, Humanitarian Programme Coordinator (MENA), ACT Alliance
Fifty five villages in Southern Lebanon were asked to evacuate in the middle of the night with nowhere to go. Entire families fled with nothing but what they could quickly gather and carry. In those moments, the language of geopolitics disappears, and it is replaced by the universal language of fear: parents trying to protect their children, elderly people unable to run, communities torn apart overnight.
This escalation is not happening in isolation, civilians are bearing the cost across the region: Syria, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and the Gulf countries are all simultaneously under attack. It is unfolding within a broader regional context in which violence has become normalized and civilian suffering is increasingly overlooked.
But how can this suffering be normal? There is nothing normal about waking to bombs, losing loved ones, or wondering whether there will be a home left to return to.
As humanitarians, we must be clear about the limits of our role: humanitarian action can alleviate suffering, but it cannot resolve the root causes of war.
Every escalation deepens human suffering, fractures societies, and makes recovery harder and longer. Without an immediate halt to hostilities, the cost will continue to be paid by civilians who are already exhausted, displaced, and grieving and by future generations.
This work is necessary to alleviate the suffering of those under the bombs. I call on our members across the world to support this effort, to support our members in these countries to reach those most in need.Jana Nasr, Humanitarian Programme Coordinator (MENA), ACT Alliance
On the ground, we are working closely with our members and their local partners to respond urgently to the needs of the communities we serve. Emergency support is being mobilized to reach those displaced overnight, including shelter assistance, food parcels, medical support, and psychosocial care for families in shock.
Local organizations are working with governmental makeshift shelters to host those who fled with nowhere to go. Volunteers are distributing mattresses, blankets, and hot meals in areas receiving newly displaced people. Protection teams are identifying the most vulnerable, including children, older persons, and people with disabilities, to ensure they are not left behind.
This work is necessary to alleviate the suffering of those under the bombs. I call on our members across the world to support this effort, to support our members in these countries to reach those most in need.
Behind every statistic is a human life. A mother trying to calm her child after a night of explosions. A father searching through rubble for belongings. A family wondering whether displacement will last days, months, or years. These are the realities unfolding today, and they demand solidarity and hope.
If you want to help, consider supporting our appeals in the region. ACT Alliance Forums have active appeals in Syria, Jordan and Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza:
