Attachments
A.SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the crisis
Following the escalation of hostilities on the 2nd of March 2026, Lebanon is facing a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, representing the most severe surge in violence since the November 2024 ceasefire. What began as concentrated hostilities in the south has quickly expanded across the country, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, Baalbek-Hermel, and parts of Mount Lebanon. As of the 31st of March, according to the Disaster Risk Management, more than 4,727 hostilities have been recorded nationwide, highlighting the sustained intensity and widening geographic scope of the conflict.
A major development on the 24th of March includes the expansion of evacuation orders across parts of southern Lebanon, affecting a significant portion of the territory. These measures are leaving communities increasingly isolated and constrained in their movement, heightening protection risks and continuing to shape displacement patterns in the south.
The human impact continues to escalate. According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), between the 2nd and the 31st of March casualties have exceeded 1,268 fatalities and 3,750 injuries, including women and children, reflecting the disproportionate toll on civilians and the increasing exposure of densely populated areas to violence. Repeated airstrikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure underscore the unpredictability of the security environment and the limited options for civilians to seek safety.
The escalation has triggered an unprecedented displacement crisis. As of the 31st of March, the national Disaster Risk Management reports 136,201 internally displaced people sheltering in 669 collective shelters, while many others remain in vehicles due to limited access to safe accommodation. In total, more than 1,100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, highlighting that displacement extends far beyond those in collective shelters, with ongoing evacuation orders driving continuous population movements across multiple regions. This new wave of displacement compounds the situation of approximately 64,000 individuals who remained displaced from the 2024 hostilities, creating a humanitarian emergency of extraordinary scale and placing unprecedented pressure on host communities, collective shelters, and essential services across Lebanon.
A significant number of displaced households are staying with host communities or in informal settings such as unfinished buildings, public spaces, and vehicles, often in overcrowded conditions. These circumstances are intensifying humanitarian needs across shelter, water and sanitation, food assistance, health care, and protection. Vulnerable groups including women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities face heightened risks, including family separation, limited access to essential services, and increased protection concerns in congested environments. Displacement patterns remain highly fluid, with many families experiencing repeated displacement as hostilities shift.
At the same time, the conflict is placing severe strain on already fragile public systems. The health sector has been particularly affected, with hospitals damaged or forced to close and dozens of primary healthcare centres no longer operational, severely limiting access to critical and lifesaving services. Since the second of March, 64 attacks on health care have been reported, resulting in 91 injuries and 53 deaths, with health care workers and facilities repeatedly targeted in incidents causing multiple casualties.1 Other essential services, including water, electricity, and education, are also being disrupted as infrastructure is damaged and public facilities are repurposed to accommodate displaced populations.
Overall, the ongoing escalation has exposed millions of people across Lebanon to the direct and indirect consequences of conflict, creating a humanitarian emergency of significant scale and complexity. The rapid increase in displacement is placing extraordinary pressure on host communities, collective shelters, and already overstretched essential services. As hostilities continue and displacement patterns remain dynamic, humanitarian actors face growing challenges in delivering assistance while adapting to rapidly evolving security conditions and expanding humanitarian needs.