Embassy of Sweden in Beirut

07/05/2026

Wrapping up a two-day visit from Sweden 🇸🇪🇸🇾🇱🇧

Mikael Lindvall, Director-General for Global Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden concluded a two-day visit to Syria and Lebanon. In Syria, he met with counterparts including Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Kabawat and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani to further strengthen the relationship between Sweden and Syria, and to deepen discussions on how Sweden best can contribute to Syria’s recovery.

In Lebanon, he met with the Director for Political and Consular Affairs, Ibrahim Assaf at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon and expressed Sweden’s solidarity with Lebanon and the Lebanese people. Sweden stands ready to continue its support to Lebanon. He also visited a collective shelter together with UNHCR Lebanon, a key humanitarian partner in Lebanon, and met a with displaced people from the south.

📸: UNHCR Lebanon (1,3), وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين في الجمهورية العربية السورية Mofa - Syria (2), وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية والعمل في سورية (4)

05/05/2026

Celebrating Midwives in Syria!

On the International Day of the Midwife, the Swedish Ambassador to Lebanon and Chargé d’Affaires to Syria Jessica Svärdström joined UNFPA-Syria صندوق الأمم المتحدة للسكان - سوريا and the Minister of Health in Damascus to celebrate the vital role of midwives in saving lives and strengthening health systems.

Midwifery in Sweden

In Sweden, midwives have been central to women’s and newborns’ health for over 300 years. Access to trained midwives has been one of the most important factors in achieving Sweden’s low maternal mortality - more impactful than even the introduction of antibiotics. Today, midwives provide over 80% of sexual and reproductive health services, and every pregnant woman has the right to a midwife before, during, and after pregnancy.

Midwifery in Swedish Development Cooperation to Syria

Reducing maternal and child mortality has been a cornerstone of Sweden’s development cooperation since the 1960s and for more than 20 years, Sweden has been a leading supporter of midwifery globally. Alongside global support, Sweden currently backs national midwifery programs in ten countries, now including Syria. Supporting the national midwifery system will improve health services for women and newborns, expand opportunities for women in the workforce, and contribute to Syria’s recovery priorities in basic service provision.

Ultimately, we believe that supporting midwives - and midwifery models of care - improves the lives of women, families, and communities across Syria.



Photos: ووزارة الصحة السورية

22/04/2026

Sweden is increasing its humanitarian support to Lebanon by an additional SEK 70 million.

The support is being provided in light of the worsening humanitarian situation and will contribute to addressing basic needs, protecting the civilian population and creating security for those who have been hardest-hit by the conflict.

“The Government is clear that this support is for Lebanon and its population, who have had to suffer devastating consequences of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The ceasefire that is underway is welcome but fragile, and must also lead to a long-term solution,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard.

Sweden’s support helps address acute needs: emergency housing, food, medical care and psychosocial support for the most vulnerable.

In addition to Sweden’s extensive core support to the International Red Cross Movement and several UN organisations operating in Lebanon, Sweden announced a SEK 65 million humanitarian support package the day after the UN launched its emergency humanitarian appeal for Lebanon on 13 March. In light of the continued deterioration of the situation, an additional SEK 70 million is now being provided. Sweden’s targeted humanitarian assistance to Lebanon will thus total SEK 135 million in 2026.

Read the full statement here: https://www.government.se/press-releases/2026/04/sweden-increases-humanitarian-support-to-lebanon/

UNHCR Lebanon Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

15/04/2026

🇸🇪 Sweden and partners 🇦🇺 🇧🇪🇭🇷 🇨🇾🇩🇰🇫🇮🇫🇷🇬🇷 🇮🇪🇮🇸 🇱🇺 🇲🇹🇳🇱🇵🇹🇳🇴🇬🇧🇸🇮 🇪🇸 call for an immediate de-escalation in Lebanon. We welcome the Lebanese Government's initiative for open and direct talks. We call on Lebanon and Israel to seize this opportunity to work toward a lasting political solution.

Read the full statement below, as published on the website of the French Minstry for Foreign Affairs:

We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, call for the inclusion of Lebanon in the regional de-escalation efforts and urge all parties to work toward a lasting political solution. The continuation of the war in Lebanon puts at risks the current regional deescalation, which we have welcomed and must be fully respected by all parties.

We welcome the initiative by President Aoun to open direct talks with Israel and the acceptance by Israel to start the talks facilitated by the United States. We call on both parties to seize this opportunity. Direct negotiations can pave the way to bring lasting security for Lebanon and Israel as well as the region. We stand ready to support them. We therefore call upon all parties to urgently deescalate and seize the opportunity offered by the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks of Hezbollah against Israel which must cease immediately. We also condemn in the strongest terms the massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon conducted on 8 April which, according to the latest information shared by the Lebanese authorities, resulted in the death of more than 350 persons and wounded more than 1000. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.

We also condemn in the strongest terms the attacks against UNIFIL and we reiterate that the safety and security of UN peacekeepers must be ensured at all times.

We express our full solidarity and our steadfast support for the Lebanese people and authorities. We stand ready to provide emergency assistance to the more than one million displaced persons in Lebanon, in coordination with the Lebanese government.

We reaffirm the importance of respecting for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and for the full implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). We will continue to support the Lebanese state to exercise its full sovereignty over the whole Lebanese territory. In this context, we commend the decision of the Lebanese government to ban Hezbollah’s military activities, as well as its decision to reinforce the full imposition of state authority over Beirut and to have the sole monopoly on weapons, and we encourage full and swift implementation.

30/03/2026

Statement by Foreign Minister Malmer Stenergard calling for an immediate ceasefire.

17/03/2026

Sweden has in response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis and the Flash Appeal announced a humanitarian aid package for Lebanon of 65MSEK. The support will be distributed among UN organisations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and civil society to provide support and protection for people who now find themselves in the midst of the crisis.

“The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is serious and deteriorating rapidly with the continued escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes and are now in urgent need of temporary shelter, blankets, medical care, food and psychosocial support. Sweden is therefore supporting organisations that are able to meet people’s basic needs in the midst of the crisis,” - Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

Read the full statement here: https://www.government.se/press-releases/2026/03/sweden-provides-humanitarian-support-to-lebanon/

UNHCR Lebanon United Nations OCHA Lebanon WFP MENA برنامج الأغذية العالمي الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا International Committee of the Red Cross Lebanon Lebanese Red Cross Save the Children Lebanon

Sweden is announcing a new SEK 65 million humanitarian aid package for Lebanon due to the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah,...

09/03/2026

Ambassador Svärdström today met with President Aoun together with her Nordic colleagues.

Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beirut The Danish Embassy in Beirut

الرئيس جوزاف عون خلال استقباله سفراء الدانمارك والسويد والنروج :

- الاعتداءات الاسرائيلية المستمرة على الضاحية الجنوبية والجنوب والبقاع لن تحقق ما تهدف اليه إسرائيل.
- موقف لبنان ثابت وورد في قرار مجلس الوزراء الأسبوع الماضي لجهة التزام لبنان التام والنهائي بمندرجات اعلان وقف الاعمال العدائية الذي اتفق عليه في تشرين الثاني 2024، بما يصون السلم والاستقرار، في مقابل الزام إسرائيل بوقف اعتداءاتها على كامل الأراضي اللبنانية.
- ⁠ابلغت الدول الكبرى والامم المتحدة استعداد لبنان الكامل لاستئناف المفاوضات والبحث في النقاط الأمنية الضرورية لوقف التصعيد الإسرائيلي الخطير.
- قرار الحكومة المتعلق بحصر السلاح سينفذ وفقاً للخطة التي وضعتها قيادة الجيش متى سمحت الظروف الأمنية لذلك، وبالتالي فان التعرض للجيش او لقائده في هذه الظروف الدقيقة والخطيرة في آن، هو موقف مرفوض ومستغرب ومشبوه لأنه يصب في محاولات تقويض سلطة الدولة والتشكيك بقدراتها ويتناغم بشكل أو بآخر مع اهداف العاملين على زج لبنان في الحرب الإقليمية الدائرة تخطياً لارادة أكثرية اللبنانيين الذين سئموا الحروب وتداعياتها ويتمسكون بحق الدولة وحدها في اتخاذ قرار الحرب والسلم.

السفراء الثلاثة اكدوا تضامن دولهم مع لبنان في هذه المرحلة الصعبة واستعدادهم لتقديم المساعدات اللازمة للبنانيين النازحين من قراهم.

09/03/2026

Med anledning av säkerhetsläget beslutade UD den 9 mars om att skärpa avrådan för Libanon. Ändringen innebär att UD avråder från resor till hela Libanon samt uppmanar svenskar som befinner sig i Libanon att lämna landet.

Det libanesiska luftrummet är inte stängt men det råder störningar i flygtrafiken med många inställda flygningar. Svenska medborgare rekommenderas att boka flyg med Middle East Airlines (MEA) som fortlöpande sätter in extra flyg.

Svenskar uppmanas därtill att följa händelseutvecklingen noga samt lokala myndigheters anvisningar, skriva upp sig på Svensklistan och ladda ner appen UD Resklar och godkänna pushnotiser, samt hålla kontakt med anhöriga.

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Due to the security situation, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) decided on 9 March to tighten its travel advisory for Lebanon. The change means that the UD advises against all travel to Lebanon and urges Swedes who are currently in the country to leave.

Lebanon’s airspace is not closed, but there are disruptions in air traffic with many cancelled flights. Swedish citizens are recommended to book flights with Middle East Airlines (MEA), which is continuously adding extra flights.

Swedes are also urged to closely follow developments and the instructions of local authorities, register on the "Swedish List", download the “UD Resklar” app and enable push notifications, and to stay in contact with family members.

07/03/2026

05/03/2026

Med anledning av det försämrade säkerhetsläget avråder Utrikesdepartementet från alla resor till Libanon.

Beslut om avrådan togs den 4 mars 2026.

Avrådan gäller tills vidare.

Svenskar i Libanon uppmanas att hålla sig uppdaterade om händelseutvecklingen och följa nyhetsrapporteringen samt lokala myndigheters anvisningar. Kontakta ditt flygbolag för uppdatering om din flygresa påverkas av stängning av omgivande länders luftrum. Svenskar uppmanas även att skriva upp sig på Svensklistan, ladda ner appen UD Resklar och godkänna pushnotiser.

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Due to the deteriorating security situation, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Lebanon.

The decision to issue the advisory was made on 4 March 2026.

The advisory applies until further notice.

Swedes in Lebanon are urged to stay informed about developments, follow news reports, and comply with instructions from local authorities. Contact your airline company for updates on whether your flight is affected by the closure of surrounding countries’ airspace. Swedes are also encouraged to register on the “Swedish List” (Svensklistan), download the “UD Resklar” app and enable push notifications.

Med anledning av det förbättrade säkerhetsläget har Utrikesdepartementet den 7 februari 2025 beslutat att ändra avrådan för Libanon....

24/02/2026

Four years. 1,461 days.

Every day is one day too many.

Every life lost is one life too many.

Every person who has been forced to flee their home.

Every child who has been abducted by Russia.

Every home, school and hospital without electricity and heating.

Russia must end its war. Only Ukraine has the right to decide on the future of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have demonstrated incredible resilience, keeping their society going and keeping their hopes alive. Sweden stands steadfast by their side.