Escalating hostilities in the region in late February triggered an increase in cross-border movements from Lebanon into Syria. Between 2 and 27 March, over 202,477 individuals crossed into Syria through the three official border crossings, according to Syrian authorities.
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.
Since 2 March, an estimated 620,000 women and girls have been forced to flee their homes.This represents nearly one quarter of all women and girls in Lebanon, and more than half of those displaced – including Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and migrant communities.
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.
For the past two weeks, Lebanon faced a rapidly worsening and unpredictable security environment, in a context of wider regional escalation. Intensified aerial attacks and evacuation orders across multiple areas have driven further displacement and expanded humanitarian needs and exposed communities to sustained insecurity.
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.
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.
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.
It has been just over a week since the new escalation in conflict started on 2 March, when Israeli evacuation warnings to residents of more than 53 villages and densely populated areas in Lebanon and intensified airstrikes forced families across Lebanon to flee within minutes. Lives have been upended on a massive scale.
World Vision New Zealand is calling for urgent international action as renewed conflict in Lebanon has forced more than 94,000 people, including thousands of children, from their homes.
