October 18, 2026 | The Conversation France, Article in French

Liminality Research Consortium

New research from the Liminality Research Consortium, published in The Conversation France, examines how the ongoing conflict in Lebanon is compounding existing humanitarian crises and pushing the most vulnerable populations towards survival strategies including transactional sex.

The article draws on preliminary testimonies from a follow-up study currently underway in Lebanon, building on the Consortium’s 2022 fieldwork. It highlights how repeated internal displacement, overcrowding in collective shelters, soaring rents, and the loss of livelihoods are severely restricting access to basic needs. Irregular legal status, limited access to healthcare, legal recourse, and state protection leave many with few options.

The piece calls for more nuanced approaches to transactional sex in humanitarian contexts, and for humanitarian actors and healthcare providers to challenge prevailing stigma and respond more proactively to the health and protection needs of those affected.

This study was conducted within the Liminality Research Consortium with financial support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Read the full article in French