Despite generous support from our donors, 50 per cent of UNICEF’s response remained unfunded in 2025. Urgent additional support is needed in 2026 to sustain and scale lifesaving services for the most vulnerable children.
Two months on from the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global energy flows, shocks have rippled through economies worldwide.
In 2025, the MENA region faced overlapping crises including conflict, displacement, economic collapse, disease outbreaks, and climate shocks, placing children at risk and disrupting access to services.
In Yemen's northern Hajjah and Hudaydah governates, shrinking humanitarian funding and the withdrawal of services is leading to the closure or reduction of health services, leaving families with fewer options for care.
Lebanon continues to face a protracted crisis marked by economic instability, recurrent displacement, and the compounded impacts of conflict and climate-related shocks.
Across Lebanon, women and girls navigate continued displacement, loss, and returns home – often multiple times – as uncertainty remains part of daily life.
Lebanon continues to confront a massive humanitarian crisis, despite the entry into effect of a 10-day ceasefire on 17 April, with hundreds of thousands of people remaining internally displaced and in urgent need of assistance.
Six months on from the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is being forgotten as the world’s attention shifts elsewhere in the Middle East, despite conditions within Gaza deteriorating at an alarming pace.
As of the eve of the ten-day ceasefire announcement, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon continued to deteriorate, with prolonged displacement of people who have fled, leaving everything they own and jobs behind**, and are facing difficulties accessing safe and dignified shelter, and basic services**.
At least 2,196 people have been killed, including 172 children, and 7,185 wounded, including 661 children, following weeks of deadly airstrikes and military operations in Lebanon.
Continued attacks on healthcare were reported during and following the deadliest day of the ongoing conflict on 8 April 2026, constituting a blatant violation of International Humanitarian Law and a clear breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2286, which mandates the protection of health personnel and facilities.
Across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, people continue to be exposed to high levels of violence and restrictive policies, resulting in casualties and property damage, prolonging existing displacement, triggering new displacement and deepening humanitarian needs.
8 April marked the deadliest day of the conflict, with at least 303 people killed, including 33 children, and over 1,150 injured, including 153 children. The escalation has sharply increased protection risks for children, highlighting the acute threat to their safety, wellbeing, and access to essential services.
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.
