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.
The economic vulnerability of refugees markedly deteriorated throughout 2025, with the proportion of those reporting an inability to meet half of basic needs increasing from 44% in Q2 to 72% in Q4.
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.
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.
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.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Lebanon in a solidarity mission, highlighting the severity of the crisis and calling for protection of civilians and increased international support. Together with the Government of Lebanon, he launched 2026 Flash Appeal.
Since 2 March 2026, escalating airstrikes and widespread displacement have claimed 634 lives as of 11 March 2026 and forced nearly 817,000 to flee their homes.
More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the Region are coming under strain as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on health care continue, and public health risks increase.
Hostilities intensified across multiple areas of Lebanon, further aggravating humanitarian needs and exposing large civilian populations to sustained insecurity. The impact is especially acute in locations hosting displaced families, where renewed forced displacement orders are forcing repeated movements within short periods.
Hostilities continue to directly impact nearly the entire population residing south of the Litani River, as well as parts of Baalbek Governorate, the Bekaa Valley, and large areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs. More than one million people are now affected by the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, with casualty figures continuing to rise.
116,900 IDPs remain internally displaced across 165 communities in Aleppo and Al-Hasakeh governorates. Critical infrastructure failures continue to impede basic services, with frequent electricity outages affecting water stations, hospitals and referral pathways.
