Lebanon

Overview

There are ongoing exchanges of mortar and artillery fire in South Lebanon, on the border with Israel, and southern Beirut has also been impacted.  On 17 and 18 September 2024, there were a large number of explosions of communication devices resulting in deaths and serious injuries. Tensions are high and the security situation could deteriorate further with little warning. We continue to advise that New Zealanders do not travel to Lebanon. If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave now via commercial options.

New Zealanders in Lebanon should be aware that commercial options for departing the country could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice. Airports and airlines may pause or cancel operations at short notice. If you choose not to leave while commercial flights are operating, be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period. 

Road transportation could also be severely disrupted. New Zealanders who wish to depart Lebanon are responsible for their own departure.

As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Lebanon, the ability of the New Zealand Government to provide assistance to New Zealand citizens is severely limited. See our page on violence and conflict for further information.

Lebanon is experiencing a prolonged and severe economic crisis. The economic challenges have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive 4 August 2020 explosion at the port of Beirut which killed 218 people and caused an estimated US$15 billion in property damage. The Lebanese currency has lost up to 90% of its value since 2019, and the country faces rolling power outages due to currency challenges to pay for electricity generation.

Some basic commodities (fuel, medicines, food) have become increasingly scarce due to the economic crisis. Many hospitals and other medical services are affected by electricity shortages.

Power outages may affect critical infrastructure, such as hospitals. They could also affect other essential services such as food production and distribution.

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