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SITUATION UPDATE
On 2 March 2026, hostilities in Lebanon escalated sharply within the context of a broader regional conflict. Airstrikes intensified across multiple areas of the country, significantly aggravating humanitarian needs and exposing civilian populations to sustained insecurity. Continuous bombardment in South Lebanon, Baalbek-Hermel, and Beirut, combined with attempts at ground incursions along the southern border, have resulted in at least +1,530 fatalities and +4,810 injuries. On 8 April, more than 100 attacks were reportedly carried out in less than ten minutes, resulting in over 250 casualties and nearly 1,200 injuries. This marked the heaviest wave of attacks since the onset of the current escalation. Israeli airstrikes have caused extensive damage to residential areas and critical civilian infrastructure, particularly in densely populated locations and in the South. Key transport infrastructure, including major bridges connecting South Lebanon to areas North of the Litani River, has been damaged, further restricting movement, exacerbating insecurity, and severely limiting access to essential services and humanitarian assistance.
At the same time, renewed and large-scale displacement orders issued by Israeli forces have significantly intensified population movements. The widening geographic scope of these orders, combined with airstrikes reaching Beirut’s city center, has frequently triggered secondary displacement and further destabilized already fragile living conditions.
The number of self-registered internally displaced persons exceeds 1,049,000 - almost 19% of the total population. Around 36,000 families are currently accommodated in 680 collective shelters across the country, including public buildings and schools repurposed for emergency use, thereby disrupting access to education. The majority of displaced families, however, are hosted by relatives or communities, or are left with no viable shelter options, including sleeping in open or informal settings. This is particularly the case for non-Lebanese IDPs (refugees and migrants), who are often not accepted within collective shelters established by the government despite the official narrative that they are open to all.
The scale and speed of displacement have placed immense pressure on host communities and already overstretched public services, contributing to rising intra-communal tensions across multiple regions. These tensions are particularly acute in areas with limited shelter capacity and weakened service provision.
As hostilities continue, humanitarian needs are rapidly expanding across all sectors. Access to livelihoods, adequate shelter, water and sanitation, food, healthcare, and protection services is increasingly constrained, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
WeWorld continues to coordinate with the Inter-Sector coordination group, Sectoral working groups, and donors, along with the Lebanese authorities and local partners to scale up assistance across affected areas.