Algeria 
Bahrain 
Egypt 
Iran 
Iraq 
Israel 
Jordan 
Kuwait 
Lebanon 
Libya 
Morocco 
Oman 
Palestine * 
Qatar 
Saudi Arabia 
Syria 
Tunisia 
United Arab Emirates 
Yemen Mutual aid as protection: Trust and help-seeking behaviour in conflict-affected communities in Lebanon
The 2023 armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah caused mass displacement and loss of life in Lebanon, creating new protection risks while compounding pre-existing ones. In the absence of accessible or trusted formal support, affected communities acted as first responders, protecting themselves and those within their reach through mutual aid. This thesis examines how community-based mutual aid contributes to protection outcomes, with particular attention to the role of trust in shaping help-seeking behaviour. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with practitioners and community leaders, it argues that mutual aid supports protection through relational infrastructure built before the crisis. Trust travels along relational chains, with intermediaries playing a central role in mediating help-seeking. While mutual aid enables rapid and dignified responses, it remains partial and network-bound. The findings contribute to debates on localisation by showing how protection is accessed beyond formal humanitarian systems through trusted relational mechanisms.
