The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, has concluded a visit to Lebanon with an urgent call for significantly increased international support to help the country confront rapidly escalating humanitarian needs.
Following a significant escalation in hostilities across the Middle East region beginning on 28 February 2026, cross-border movements into the Syrian Arab Republic (hereafter referred to as Syria) have increased, specifically from neighbouring Lebanon.
More than 130,000 people have crossed into the Syrian Arab Republic and over 1 million people have been displaced inside Lebanon since early March, as the war in the Middle East drives growing cross-border movements and displacement across the region.
Between 02 and 16 March 2026, a total of 327,280 movements were recorded across 10 (out of 16) official border crossing points (BCPs) and unofficial crossing areas.
As of 17 March, more than 125,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria, according to the latest data from the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix in Syria. Around half are children.
The Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, is gravely alarmed by reports of a strike that hit displaced people in Beirut, killing eight people and leaving dozens injured.
As of 9 March 2026, the escalation of hostilities in neighbouring Lebanon has led to significant cross-border movements into the Syrian Arab Republic (hereafter referred to as Syria), following a significant escalation in hostilities that began on 28 February 2026 across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
IOM Yemen DTM’s Rapid Displacement Tracking (RDT) tool collects data on estimated numbers of households forced to flee on a daily basis from their locations of origin or displacement, allowing for regular reporting of new displacements in terms of estimated numbers, geography, and needs.
Since 2 March 2026, renewed escalation of conflict in Lebanon has triggered rapid population movements, displacing over a hundred thousand people across the country.
