Nearly 700,000 people, including around 200,000 children, have been displaced in Lebanon due to the recent escalation of conflict, adding to tens of thousands already uprooted from earlier crises, according to UNICEF. The displacement follows a weekend of intensifying military activity, including Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iranian targets, counter-strikes by Iranian forces in Israel, explosions in Gulf States, and Israeli attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
The humanitarian toll in Lebanon has been severe. OCHA reported that 294 people were killed and over 1,000 injured during the first eight days of the conflict. A single Israeli operation in Nabi Sheet on 7 March killed 41 civilians and wounded dozens more. Airstrikes have intensified across multiple governorates, and evacuation orders have been reissued for areas south of the Litani River and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Civilian casualties have also mounted in Israel, Iran, and other countries, with reports of thousands injured and hundreds killed amid ongoing strikes and drone attacks across the region.
The conflict is driving ever-greater humanitarian needs. UN officials warned of secondary impacts on countries already facing crises, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, South Sudan, and Ukraine. Humanitarian response is further complicated by ongoing disregard for international law and weakened international institutions, undermining efforts to prevent conflict and protect civilians.
The war has also triggered major economic disruptions. Rising fuel prices, global supply chain interruptions, and attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe challenges for the transport of oil, commercial goods, and fertilizers. Attacks in the region have resulted in deaths and injuries among seafarers, stranded tens of thousands in the Persian Gulf, and created risks for global food security due to disrupted fertilizer shipments.
Food insecurity has sharply worsened in the region. Lebanon and Iran were already struggling with limited household capacity to cope with shocks, while Gaza faced sharp increases in food prices due to closures of key aid crossings. The UN World Food Programme warned that without consistent access to humanitarian corridors, food rations could be reduced to only 25 percent of daily requirements for roughly 1.3 million people. To mitigate delays, the WFP and partners have relied more heavily on overland and alternative transit routes through Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE, with its Dubai hub remaining operational despite regional disruptions.
