Hostilities continued to escalate through the Easter period between 3 and 6 April, with intensified airstrikes reported across densely populated areas, including Beirut, the Bekaa, and southern Lebanon.
One month into the conflict, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains critical. Escalating hostilities, restricted access, and continued attacks on civilian and health infrastructure are driving urgent needs.
The February 2026 airstrikes on Iran triggered a rapid escalation of risks across the region, intensifying gender-based violence (GBV) exposure in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while further degrading already fragile protection systems and service delivery structures.
At around 2pm on Sunday 5th April, Israeli forces struck a densely populated residential area in Beirut, only meters from Rafik Hariri Public Hospital, where MSF is supporting with an ER doctor.
Israeli forces struck a densely populated residential area in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday afternoon, about 300 feet from Rafik Hariri Public Hospital, where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is supporting with an ER doctor.
During his recent visit to Lebanon on 31 March, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, engaged Government officials, first responders and affected families impacted by the escalation.
The hostilities which have been ongoing for close to one-month have already claimed the lives of 1,238 people in Lebanon, including most recently rescue workers, journalists and a UN peacekeeper.
Health care in the Middle East and wider region has come under attack about once every six hours on average since conflict escalated a month ago across Lebanon, Iran, and Israel, Save the Children said.
Yemen experienced seasonal improvement in food security in February 2026, primarily driven by increased religious charity during Ramadan, higher remittance inflows, appreciation of the YER in IRG areas, and the partial payment of public-sector salaries.
Heavy rains that began on 14 March triggered widespread flooding across northern Syria, initially affecting Idleb and Aleppo governorates before extending eastwards into Ar-Raqqa, Al-Hasakeh and Deir-ez-Zor.
Following the full-scale invasion of Lebanon launched on 2 March 2026, Israeli airstrikes have continued at high intensity in Beirut’s southern suburbs and across villages in southern and eastern Lebanon.
The cost of living continues to outpace income growth; despite policy measures seeking to enhance purchasing power, current wage levels meet only around one‑third of basic household needs.
Since the beginning of March 2026, the escalation of hostilities across Lebanon has driven a rapid and severe deterioration in the humanitarian situation. Israeli airstrikes, shelling, and expanded ground operations continue to intensify in scale, frequency, and geographic scope, affecting areas that had previously remained less exposed.
Amid escalating regional tensions, humanitarian cargo continues to enter the Gaza Strip through a single operational crossing (Kerem Shalom), constraining the flow of goods and reducing both humanitarian and commercial supply volumes.
Triggered by escalating hostilities across the country, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate, resulting in mass displacement and casualties, with women accounting for 20 per cent of casualties.
Conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, unfolding a multi-layered public health emergency. Increasing numbers of deaths and injuries are being reported, with over 1,440 deaths and more than 18,700 injuries reported in Iran, and more than 886 deaths and 2105 injuries in Lebanon.
Findings are based on a rapid retail market monitoring conducted by WFP between 4 and 6 March 2026 across 236 contracted retailers in all eight governorates, complemented by information from national market actors, and analysis of WFP price monitoring data.
