Lebanon’s Disability Data Gap Leaves Thousands at Risk of Exclusion During Crises

In Lebanon, an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the population, well over 600,000 people, is thought to live with a disability. This figure rises to more than 900,000 when the denominator expands to the entire resident population, including displaced refugees and migrant worker communities.

Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation needs assessments in collective shelters across Baabda and Aley illustrate the problem: The assessments are essential, but each new wave of displacement forces much of the work to start over. For more details, access the full analysis report.

An internally displaced person in Beirut since April 2026, displaced from West Bekaa, Lebanon, says,

“I wish the disability card had real benefits instead of being just a card we get to have. I wish someone would ask about our actual needs, visit our homes to see whether they are accessible, and ensure we have access to the services we need, such as occupational therapy. Personally, this is something I need very much.” He adds, “During the war, I wished someone would ask what happened to us, whether we were displaced, what we lost, or how we were coping. No one assessed how they could help us recover. I lost my home, along with all of my assistive devices, including expensive robotic equipment that I had relied on every day. No one offered compensation or support to replace what I lost. Sometimes, it feels as though I am invisible, as if I am not seen, not heard, and not recognized by the system that is supposed to support people like me.”  

 

Three Sources of Disability Data

Lebanon has three disability data problems, stacked on top of each other, each reflecting a different population and a different way of counting.

The first problem is the prevalence estimate itself. The widely cited figure of 10 to 15 percent comes from surveys and humanitarian assessments, not from a census. Lebanon has not conducted a full national census since 1932.

The second problem is the registry. The Ministry of Social Affairs’ Personal Disability Card is the country’s only operational source of administrative disability data. Its records have grown from 95,618 people a decade ago to roughly 103,000 today, but the total remains far below even the lower end of the prevalence estimate.

The third, and most consequential, problem is exclusion. The registry was never designed to cover everyone living in Lebanon. The country continues to host one of the world’s largest refugee populations per capita. An estimated 1 to 1.4 million Syrians remained in Lebanon as of mid2026. Around 250,000 Palestinian refugees also live in Lebanon, alongside more than 175,000 migrant workers from 98 countries.

 

Why the Gap Exists

 

The gap results from several structural choices made over time, not a single decision. Surveys have been conducted, humanitarian organizations have carried out needs assessments, and the State has taken steps towards social protection.

Lebanon’s National Social Protection Strategy identified two major issues: Insufficient data; authorities lack adequate information to plan and manage social protection programs effectively. Additionally, no single, coordinated national database helps authorities identify people who need assistance and determine who qualifies for which programs.

Lebanon recognizes its lack of sufficient data and a coordinated registry, but it still lacks the system needed to address these shortcomings.

 

Citizenship is another gatekeeper. Lebanese citizens with disabilities can apply for a Personal Disability Card, but the law provides no equivalent route for refugees or migrant workers. They are therefore excluded from the State’s only standing disability data system, regardless of their needs or how long they have lived in the country.

 

When Invisibility Meets Emergency

 

The consequences of not knowing are most severe during a crisis, and Lebanon has experienced several crises in quick succession. The headline displacement figures are alarming, but they conceal an additional burden. World Food Programme (WFP) 2023 disability-inclusion study found that, among households with persons with disabilities already receiving humanitarian assistance, 82 percent reported unemployment, 95 percent had resorted to severe livelihood coping strategies, including reducing health spending and selling productive assets, and 85 percent were living in debt. These households were already connected to the humanitarian system. Those who remained outside it were likely to face even greater hardship.

 

 Below is a statement by M.H., an internally displaced person staying at the Beirut Sports City collective shelter since May 2026

 

“During the first month of the 2026 war, I was displaced to my brother's house, where four families were living together. As a person with cerebral palsy, the overcrowded space was extremely difficult. I had no privacy, very little room to move with my wheelchair, and I depended on others to help me with circulation and daily mobility. Eventually, I decided to return to the South despite the ongoing conflict because I could no longer cope with those conditions.

Later, someone I knew connected me with a team that could get me into an accessible collective shelter, but even getting there was a challenge. I couldn't afford the transportation cost, and traveling in a wheelchair required a specific type of vehicle and someone to accompany me. Thankfully, a colleague covered the transportation expenses, making it possible for me to access the shelter.

That reminded me that during emergencies, people with disabilities need more than goodwill. We need accessible shelters with enough space to move safely, accessible transportation that we can actually use, and services that are designed to meet our needs.”

 

Who Falls Through Hardest

 

Refugees and migrant workers with disabilities are also more likely to be excluded from shelters during displacement.

Gender creates another layer of vulnerability. Women and girls with disabilities face heightened risks of discrimination, violence, and abuse. Women also carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work when formal support systems are weak, leaving many caregivers themselves uncounted and unprotected.

Age cuts across all these barriers. Older people with disabilities may face the same exclusions from registration and shelter, while mobility limitations can make the journey to a registration center difficult or impossible. Economic barriers reinforce every other barrier. People with disabilities are estimated to face costs 35 to 40 percent higher than those faced by people without disabilities to achieve the same standard of living.

Below is another statement by F.S., a resident of Burj el-Brajneh Camp:

“Caring for my daughter with a disability and two other young children has completely changed my life. Every day begins with caring for her, and I have little time left to rest or think about myself. The financial burden is overwhelming. Between food, diapers, medicine, milk, and other basic needs, I often cannot afford the medical care needed.

I constantly worry about how I will continue to provide for everyone, especially as the stress has started to affect both my physical and mental health. People who have never lived this reality cannot understand. Only the families of persons with disabilities truly know the weight of this responsibility. No one feels what I go through. My message is that families like ours need support. We suffer in silence, but we keep going because we have no other choice.

I hope people and organizations continue to stand by us and provide financial, emotional, and psychological support. Even a little help can make it possible for us to continue.”

 

Every person with a disability who is missing from Lebanon’s data is also, in practice, missing from a shelter list, a cash transfer, an evacuation plan, or a rehabilitation service. The crises of 2024 and 2026 exposed a system that was already incomplete: a registry of fewer than 100,000 people was standing in for a population many times larger, while refugees and migrant workers— who make up a significant share of the country’s residents—were excluded altogether.

There are genuine reasons for hope. The National Disability Allowance is now partly financed through the national budget and reaches tens of thousands of people. The National Social Protection Strategy has placed disability inclusion within the national policy framework. The 2026 emergency response extended the Allowance to non-Lebanese families for a limited period and showed that a nationality-blind approach is possible.

Spokespersons are available for interview upon request.