Lebanon: Flash Update #3 - Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, as of 7 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

• >500 K(MOSA) Self-registered Internally displaced people
• 112 K(DRM) displaced in collective shelters
• 514(DRM) shelters
• 294(MOPH) people killed
• 1,023(MOPH) people injured

HIGHLIGHTS

On 06 March, MoSA launched the selfregistration of IDPs to facilitate the process of Government-led cash assistance to IDPs 500,000 have self-registered in 24 hours.

MoSA is preparing additional collective shelters, with the support of humanitarian partners, amidst new and repeated forced displacement orders by Israel, and growing number of IDPs seeking safe shelters.

Humanitarian partners delivering life-saving assistance to people remaining in to hard-toreach areas with support of OCHA-managed Humanitarian Notification System (HNS).

On 7 March 2026, an Israeli operation in Nabi Sheet (Nabi Chit), Baalbek, eastern Lebanon resulted in 41 Killed and 40 wounded according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Hostilities have continued across multiple governorates of Lebanon and southern suburbs of Beirut. The number of airstrikes and security incidents has continued to rise following displacement orders issued by Israeli forces in recent days. According to the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit, a total of 873 hostile incidents has been recorded reflecting a significant increase in[BC1] activity since the renewed escalation. According to MoPH, Israeli attacks between the early hours of 02 March and afternoon (15:30) on 07 March have resulted in 294 fatalities and 1,023 injuries.

On 7 March 2026, an Israeli operation in Nabi Sheet (Nabi Chit), Baalbek, eastern Lebanon resulted in 41 Killed and 40 wounded according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. The operation reportedly triggered intense explosions that caused severe structural damage throughout the town.

On 07 March, an additional displacement order was issued by Israel for a neighborhood in Tyre, triggering further population displacement. Israel has also renewed its forced displacement order for the entire area south of the Litani River for the third time since the beginning of the escalation, and for the Beirut southern suburbs for the second time.

The displacement orders issued by Israel in recent days, combined with intensified airstrikes across multiple governorates, represent a significant humanitarian turning point, triggering the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. According to the DRM Unit, as of 07 March, approximately 112,525 displaced people are currently sheltering in 514 collective shelters across the country, while many times more are presumed displaced outside the shelters. Among those recorded across collective shelters, at least 4,000 female-headed households, more than 1,600 households headed by a person with a disability, and over 5,200 households headed by an older person according to UN WOMEN. Collective shelters in several governorates reported overcrowding, especially in Beirut, and frequently lack adequate sanitation facilities, privacy, and essential supplies, undermining women’s and girls’ health, mobility, safety, and dignity.

Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have reportedly remained in their vehicles or gathered along roadsides in Beirut governorate, while continuing to seek safe shelter options**.** Many IDP families lack the financial capacity to secure alternative accommodation, leaving some with no option but to spend nights in the streets. Displacement under highly stressful conditions significantly increases protection risks for women and girls, including harassment, gender-based violence, exploitation and abuse, and trafficking. These risks are further exacerbated when families are separated during displacement or when displaced individuals relocate to overcrowded collective shelters.

Protection monitoring indicates local authorities report that houses, municipal buildings, and schools in some communities are already fully occupied, with support to displaced households currently relying primarily on local community solidarity mechanisms. Displaced people arriving from affected areas, including secondarily displaced Syrians and displaced of other nationalities are either seeking shelter in formal collective sites or find shelter through their relatives, extended family networks and other community-based support. Other displaced families residing in streets sleeping in their cars as the weather conditions are harsh, particularly for children during the night.

The current escalation is also placing severe pressure on already fragile public services. Shelter capacity is under significant strain, with collective shelters filling rapidly and occupancy levels exceeding safe standards in some locations. Overcrowding increases the risks of communicable disease transmission, fire hazards, and protection incidents. Shelter options for non-Lebanese remain challenging despite the GoL call for inclusive shelters and the ongoing efforts to find alternative shelter solutions.

The Government of Lebanon continues to prepare additional collective shelters to accommodate displaced people who remain without safe accommodation. Preparations are ongoing with the support of humanitarian partners to bring additional sites into operation as soon as possible.

The health system is experiencing growing pressure as casualty numbers increase. The evacuation of two hospitals in Beirut’s southern suburbs following the 5 March displacement order, coordinated by the Ministry of Public Health and the Lebanese Red Cross, in addition to reported attacks affecting healthcare personnel and facilities, has placed additional strain on health system capacity.

Essential services – including healthcare, water, sanitation, electricity, and waste management – are also under increasing stress, particularly in municipalities hosting large numbers of displaced people.

Every day of continued hostilities exponentially increases humanitarian needs stretching national response capacities and the ability of local authorities and humanitarian partners to meet the needs of affected populations. This comes at a time when funding has already been limited.

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