Lebanese culture is usually associated with open restaurants and vibrant nightlife. Ask anyone who has traveled to Lebanon or visited a Lebanese restaurant anywhere in the world: there is no other culture in the world that enjoys the vibrancy of social activities or interaction with its customers as much as the Lebanese.

Known for its love of entertainment, food and people, Lebanese culture has its own signature personality; one who invites others into their hearts and homes without prejudice. Lebanese culture is known to share what they have with others, whether at the dinner table, in places of worship, or in their homes.

There is no concept of “stranger” in Lebanon. Lebanese families often warmly invite visitors. The Lebanese will make sure you feel at home, no matter how far you are from it. Their ability to unconditionally discover their country goes beyond hospitality and is a way of life. Lebanon will simply become your home.

However, few travelers or the general public associate this hospitality with the efforts required to support people forcibly expelled from their country or seeking protection from conflict in neighboring countries. The current refugee crisis and the consequences of the current conflict between Israel and Lebanon are often overlooked in media coverage of the Middle East. The consequences of the conflict in the Middle East have contributed to an increase in the number of internally displaced people seeking protection. The UN High Commissioner’s Global Trends Report confirms that 6 million Palestinians and 6.5 million Syrians remain forcibly displaced and/or are seeking protection in other countries such as Lebanon.(1)

“In times of war, Lebanese culture remains unchanged”

Lebanon hosts the world’s largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that about 1.5 million Syrian refugees and about 11,238 refugees of other nationalities have resettled in Lebanon after fleeing war in their home country. Most refugees arrive in the country without basic needs or shelter. The refugee population in Lebanon is growing rapidly due to the conflict between Palestine and Israel. Over the past five years, more than 1.5 million refugees have found a home in Lebanon. The Lebanese government is not turning away refugees, despite the obvious economic pressure it puts on the country.

Jean-Paul Saliba, a Lebanese resident currently studying medicine in Northern Lebanon, says that despite the unrest in the country, the Lebanese community continues to make efforts to open its doors to others. “Most Lebanese are selfless people because they open their homes, shelters, schools and universities to refugees who come to Lebanon for help.”

Jean-Paul is currently studying remotely due to civil unrest in his village. However, children and young people in neighboring villages are also turning to distance learning to support the reception of refugees and, more recently, internally displaced persons with temporary homes. Because of this impact on society, Jean-Paul says he is dedicated to completing his research to support universal access to healthcare and the integration of cultural awareness into medicine. Distance learning has increased in areas of Lebanon due to the need to support refugee resettlement. Jean-Paul expresses the true essence of Lebanese culture as a culture that is “willing to go to any lengths to help (others) and each other in difficult times.”

Now the country continues these efforts, but with the goal of resettling its own people. Following a series of deadly attacks by Israel, temporary shelters that once provided refugees are now also supporting Lebanese families. Universities that were once open have now closed. Most of those that remain open are intended to support Lebanese families who have been internally displaced by providing them with temporary shelter. Families are now fleeing to safer areas in the north as the entire country awaits a possible ceasefire.

These families depend on the goodwill and gestures of other families in these areas to provide them with a home or temporary shelter as they flee their homes in South Lebanon, and more recently the North, in search of safety and protection. Within a week, the Lebanese community is known to adapt to extreme circumstances, regardless of the economic pressure faced by homes, hospitals and schools to accommodate people, including their own, seeking asylum. The ability of the Lebanese people to adapt, maintain and rebuild their lives is a testament to their culture. The values ​​embedded in this culture become even more evident in times of crisis and conflict.

What remains true is the essence of Lebanese culture: generosity and relentless optimism. It is hoped that over time this culture will take center stage instead of the current conflict in the Middle East.

(1) Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNHCR. (June 2024). Global Trends Report 2023. https://www.unhcr.org/au/media/global-trends-report-2023.