Lebanon: Flash Update #5 - Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, as of 9 March 2026

This report is produced by OCHA Lebanon Office in collaboration with Inter-Sector Coordination Group under 2026 Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) Framework.

KEY FIGURES

>667 K(MOSA) Self-registered internally displaced people

119 K(DRM) displaced in collective shelters

567(DRM) shelters

449(MOPH) people killed

1,294(MOPH) people injured

HIGHLIGHTS

• Estimated 181,000 IDPs are school-aged children.

• Nearly 104,200 children’s access to education is affected by 328 schools being used as collective shelters.

• As of 9 March, MoPH reports 14 health workers were killed and 24 injured. Two paramedics injured in an attack on Lebanese Red Cross ambulance in Majdal Zoun, Tyre district.

• Human Rights Watch reported the alleged use of white phosphorus in an attack on the town of Yahmar, Nabatieh Governorate.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Hostilities continue to directly impact nearly the entire population residing south of the Litani River, as well as parts of Baalbek Governorate, the Bekaa Valley, and large areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs. More than one million people are now affected by the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, with casualty figures continuing to rise.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, 449 people have been killed and 1,294 injured since the escalation began. Nabatieh Governorate has the highest reported casualty toll, followed by South Lebanon and Mount Lebanon.

To date, DRM has recorded 1,161 hostile incidents, including a second incident within 48 hours in Nabi Sheet (Nabi Chit), Baalbek district. On 9 March, following an Israeli forced displacement order for Beirut’s southern suburbs, several strikes were reported in the area, alongside a new displacement order affecting Anssarieh village in Saida district. Movement within affected areas remains unsafe, with displacement orders issued, expanded, or renewed almost daily, preventing thousands from returning home and prolonging uncertainty. On the same day, it has been reported that an Israeli strike hit a Red Cross ambulance in Majdal Zoun, Tyre district, injuring paramedics. Human Rights Watch also reported the alleged use of white phosphorus in an earlier 3 March attack on Yahmar, Nabatieh Governorate.

Since 2 March, new waves of airstrikes and repeated displacement orders across multiple localities have triggered a sharp escalation in internal displacement. According to the Government-led self‑registration system, 667,831 people have registered as displaced. The National Disaster Risk Management Unit (DRM) reports 119,700 displaced individuals currently accommodated in 567 collective shelters. However, hundreds of shelters remain unreported, and significantly more people are staying outside formal sites – in host communities, informal arrangements, vehicles, or public spaces.

As displacement persists, communities face growing protection and humanitarian risks, including prolonged separation from homes and livelihoods, uncertainty over the safety of their neighborhoods, and reduced access to essential services. Housing, Land and Property (HLP) concerns are expected to escalate should displacement become protracted, with increasing informal rental arrangements, risks of exploitation, property disputes, and widespread loss of personal documentation.

Conditions in many collective shelters remain of concern. Partners report shortages of mattresses, bedding, essential relief items, and inadequate WASH facilities. Children, older persons, and persons with disabilities are reported to be sleeping without proper bedding in several sites, heightening exposure to health risks. Uneven aid distribution and emerging social tensions – particularly where space is limited – have also been reported.

Protection concerns continue to rise. Women and girls in particular report feeling unsafe in several shelters, underscoring the need for strengthened monitoring, safe spaces, and gender-sensitive shelter management. Overcrowding, combined with stress related to displacement, is contributing to increased psychosocial distress among affected populations.

A significant number of people remain in hard‑to‑reach or high‑risk areas, including older persons, persons with disabilities, and individuals with limited mobility who face barriers to evacuation and access to assistance.

Health facilities are increasingly overstretched as trauma cases surge. People with chronic illnesses – including those requiring dialysis, insulin, or other life-sustaining treatment – are facing disruptions due to displacement, infrastructure damage, and movement restrictions.

Humanitarian partners note that SMS remains the preferred communication channel for many displaced households due to limited mobile data access.

Overall, the rapidly evolving security situation, large-scale and ongoing displacement, deteriorating shelter conditions, and rising protection and health needs are placing significant pressure on communities and humanitarian response actors. Immediate support is required to strengthen shelter capacity, scale up protection and health services, and improve communication with affected populations – particularly the most vulnerable.