IOM Reports 704,445 Displaced in Lebanon as Returns Rise After Ceasefire Conditions
The International Organization for Migration reported a sharp increase in returns among displaced people in Lebanon, while hundreds of thousands remained uprooted across Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
In a mobility report published July 16, 2026, IOM said 523,249 internally displaced people had returned in Lebanon as of June 24. That was a 40% increase from the previous reporting round. The report linked the changing movement patterns to ceasefire conditions following the wider regional escalation.
Despite the increase in returns, IOM recorded 704,445 internally displaced people across 848 Lebanese cadasters as of June 24. Another 80,611 people remained displaced in 584 collective shelters.
Returns are rising, but displacement remains extensive
The figures show a change in movement without establishing that the crisis has ended. IOM said the decline in displacement inside Lebanon followed the April 17 ceasefire, while its report materials also linked regional mobility trends to a June 17 U.S.-Iran memorandum and subsequent 60-day ceasefire conditions.
Those conditions appear to have enabled more people to return to their areas of origin, but the available figures do not show whether every return was permanent or safe. Damaged housing, disrupted civilian infrastructure and other barriers can affect whether people can remain after moving back.
The number of people still living in collective shelters underscores the continuing need for humanitarian support. IOM’s count covers 80,611 people in 584 shelters, but the report does not provide a separate assessment of housing conditions for everyone who has left displacement sites.
Cross-border movements into Syria continue
Movement across Lebanon’s borders also continued. IOM recorded 549,981 cross-border movements into Syria by July 13, during the reporting period covering June 30 through July 13.
That figure should not be read as a count of 549,981 unique people. IOM recorded movements, which can include repeated or return travel by the same individual. The data therefore describe the scale of recorded mobility rather than the exact number of migrants, refugees or other people who crossed into Syria.
The report’s coverage includes Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran. It places the Lebanese return trend alongside continuing regional movement rather than treating the situation as a single, settled outcome.
Iran still has people unable to return
In Iran, IOM said approximately 9,000 people remained displaced as of June 1. The agency attributed their continued displacement to damage to homes and civilian infrastructure, which prevented them from returning.
The Iranian figure is based on an earlier date than the Lebanese and Syria figures. It should therefore not be combined into a single same-day regional total. Instead, it illustrates that displacement conditions remained different from one country to another.
Monitoring remains the next step
IOM described regional mobility conditions as fragile. The agency said operational preparedness and continued monitoring remained necessary as people weigh whether and when to return, move across borders or remain in temporary shelter.
The report does not predict whether displacement will rise or fall next, and it does not characterize the ceasefire conditions as a final peace agreement. Its figures provide a snapshot of movement at different dates: Lebanon’s internal displacement and returns as of June 24, movements into Syria by July 13, and displacement in Iran as of June 1.
For humanitarian agencies, the immediate task is to track those changes while identifying barriers to safe and durable return. The increase in Lebanese returns is a significant development, but the remaining displacement and ongoing cross-border mobility show that the region’s humanitarian crisis is still unresolved.
Sources
- Migration Flows: Escalation in the Middle East and Beyond — Mobility Report, International Organization for Migration
- Global Displacement Tracking Matrix Updates, International Organization for Migration
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