Rapid and Drastic Deterioration of Humanitarian Situation in Lebanon: 370,000 Children Driven from Homes; 20% of Population Displaced Since Conflict Escalated [Press Release]
The escalation of conflict in Lebanon has forced 370,000 children to flee their homes in just three weeks. UNICEF warns of a severe humanitarian crisis and the psychological trauma inflicted on the children.
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- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 00:57
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[27 March 2026, Beirut, Lebanon]
UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi, participated online from Beirut in the regular UN press briefing held in Geneva on March 27, and reported on the dire situation facing children in Lebanon as follows:
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In just three weeks, over 370,000 children in Lebanon have been forced from their homes. This equates to at least 19,000 children being displaced every single day. To give a sense of the scale, it is as if hundreds of school buses filled with children desperately trying to escape are setting off every day.
In less than a month, approximately 20% of Lebanon's population has been forced to flee. The speed and scale are staggering. Currently, over one million people are displaced across the country, many of whom have been forced to move two, three, or even four times. This is a sudden, chaotic, and massive displacement that is tearing families apart and hollowing out communities. The impact will likely linger long after the violence subsides.
Children in Lebanon are suffering immeasurable psychological trauma. Before they can even heal from the trauma of the previous escalation in conflict, children are once again being driven from their homes by violence. The relentless bombardment and the cycle of displacement risk exacerbating their psychological wounds, instilling deep fear, and causing severe, long-term emotional impact.
Zeinab, an 11-year-old girl I met at a shelter in a school building in Beirut, fled from southern Beirut with her family. This was the same school building where she had lived in displacement 18 months ago. She said she never imagined she would once again be living a life where she hears the sounds of shelling and bombing almost every night, surrounded by many people sleeping. All she wants is to return home, go back to school, and regain her normal life.
UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi, participated online from Beirut in the regular UN press briefing held in Geneva on March 27, and reported on the dire situation facing children in Lebanon as follows:
***
In just three weeks, over 370,000 children in Lebanon have been forced from their homes. This equates to at least 19,000 children being displaced every single day. To give a sense of the scale, it is as if hundreds of school buses filled with children desperately trying to escape are setting off every day.
In less than a month, approximately 20% of Lebanon's population has been forced to flee. The speed and scale are staggering. Currently, over one million people are displaced across the country, many of whom have been forced to move two, three, or even four times. This is a sudden, chaotic, and massive displacement that is tearing families apart and hollowing out communities. The impact will likely linger long after the violence subsides.
Children in Lebanon are suffering immeasurable psychological trauma. Before they can even heal from the trauma of the previous escalation in conflict, children are once again being driven from their homes by violence. The relentless bombardment and the cycle of displacement risk exacerbating their psychological wounds, instilling deep fear, and causing severe, long-term emotional impact.
Zeinab, an 11-year-old girl I met at a shelter in a school building in Beirut, fled from southern Beirut with her family. This was the same school building where she had lived in displacement 18 months ago. She said she never imagined she would once again be living a life where she hears the sounds of shelling and bombing almost every night, surrounded by many people sleeping. All she wants is to return home, go back to school, and regain her normal life.