Attachments
>1.049 mil Displaced (self-registered)
663 Collective shelters
1,238 Killed
3,543 Wounded
The Protection Sector Emergency Snapshot is produced by the Protection Analysis and Monitoring Task Force (PAMTF), drawing on information and secondary data from sector lead agencies in the context of the ongoing escalation of conflict and displacement. It consolidates inputs from Protection, Child Protection, and GBV partners, including dedicated protection monitoring actors. The snapshot reflects field observations, community level insights, and operational updates from frontline teams engaged in protection service delivery and monitoring. Following the release of the Protection Monitoring Snapshot #1, this report covers the period from 16-30 March 2026.
Situation Overview
Intense air and artillery strikes have continued across Lebanon, including in densely populated areas of Beirut such as the Zuqaq al-Blat neighborhood, where a deadly strike near several collective shelters (CS) hosting displaced families heightened fear and trauma among already vulnerable populations.
Since 2 March, over 1.049 million people have been displaced.2 Of these, 136,262 are sheltering in government-designated CS, while most remain dispersed across host communities, informal sites, or in public spaces, often with limited access to services or assistance. The scale and rapid evolution of the crisis have raised significant risks, prompting a visit of the UN Secretary General on 13-14 March to announce the launch of a Flash Appeal, calling for immediate protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
On 16 March, Israel announced the start of “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon4 , marking a major escalation and the most significant ground incursion since 2006. 5 The situation further deteriorated on 17 March with a large-scale displacement order covering Tyre city and surrounding areas, including Rashidieh, Burj al-Shamali, and Al-Buss Palestinian camps. This triggered widespread fear of violence, panic and mass displacement toward Saida and northern areas, alongside some movements into camps for perceived safety, creating complex and overlapping displacement patterns. Concurrently, plans to establish a “buffer zone” south of the Litani River—covering nearly 10% of Lebanese territory—and evacuation orders for an estimated 250-300 villages6 have significantly widened the scope of displacement and heightened risks such as unsafe movement, family separation, and limited access to timely information on where to seek support.
Despite evacuation measures, civilian casualties continue to rise. As of 26 March, the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit, reported 3,908 hostilities and the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reported at least 1,238 fatalities, including 83 women and 121 children, and 3,543 injured, among them 454 women and 399 children, since hostilities began.
Intensified hostilities have also increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure and destruction of bridges and roads in southern Lebanon, cutting off parts of the south and constraining delivery of critical protection services for roughly 150,000 people,9 elevating risks for communities.
Displacement remains highly fluid, with ongoing secondary movements across Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, North, and Mount Lebanon. Significant population inflows have been recorded in Saida, Nahr el-Bared, Badawi, and Wavel camps, as well as in host communities and informal settlements.
Protection actors remain operational where access permits, ensuring outreach to the communities, providing information on key protection issues and where to find support, identifying and supporting individuals at heightened risk and extending case management services for survivors of violence, including GBV and children at risk. For some marginalized communities who are unable to access services or shelter, the Emergency Cash Assistance is also a rapid response mechanism to prevent, mitigate or address protection risks.
Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) remain a key priority in view of steeply rising needs. In CS, partners conduct awareness sessions on key issues (including gender-based violence (GBV), child protection, and self-care) while supporting caregivers to help children cope with trauma. Yet, humanitarian access remains volatile, particularly in the South, Nabatiyeh, Baalbek-Hermel, and parts of Bekaa, where intensified military activity and expanding red zones restrict access, significantly limiting the scale and consistency of protection response amid rapidly growing needs. 11 Overall, increasing access constraints in specific areas have reduced affected people’s access to services. This is particularly critical for the South, El Nabatiyeh and Southers areas of West Bekaa, Baalbek and El Hermel.