Lebanon is experiencing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the 1975–90 civil war. Following a fragile ceasefire in November 2024 and a brief recovery period, full-scale conflict re-erupted on 2 March 2026 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the US-Israeli assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with a massive air and ground campaign that has rapidly surpassed the scale and intensity of the 2024 escalation.
By early April 2026, over 1.1 million people, approximately one in five of Lebanon's population, had been displaced, more than 1,500 killed, and nearly 4,000 wounded. Blanket evacuation orders now cover roughly 600 square miles of Lebanese territory, including the entirety of Beirut's southern suburbs (Dahiyeh) and all of south Lebanon below the Litani River. Israeli forces have subsequently threatened to extend the buffer zone further north, raising serious concerns about permanent displacement.
Humanitarian conditions are critical across all five assessed areas - El Nabatieh, Tyre, Baalbek, Dahiyeh, and the Bekaa Valley. Health infrastructure has been devastated, with 92 verified attacks on healthcare facilities since 2 March, five hospitals closed, and emergency admissions at Beirut's largest public hospital tripling. Food insecurity, already affecting 961,000 people before the escalation, is projected to worsen significantly, with no confirmed funding for Syrian refugee food assistance beyond April 2026. The closure of the Masnaa border crossing since 4 April has further severed Lebanon's primary land route to Syria, disrupting both civilian movement and humanitarian supply chains.
The Flash Appeal stands at only 30.6% funded. Without urgent de-escalation, sustained funding, and restored humanitarian access, Lebanon faces the simultaneous compounding collapse of its health, food, water, and shelter systems.
