Rapid and Significant Deterioration of the Humanitarian Situation in Lebanon: 370,000 Children Displaced; 20% of the Population Displaced Since Escalation of Conflict [Press Release]

[March 27, 2026, Beirut (Lebanon)]

Marco Luigi Corsi, UNICEF Representative to Lebanon, joined the UN’s regular press briefing in Geneva online from Beirut on March 27 to report on the dire situation facing children in Lebanon.

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In just three weeks, more than 370,000 children in Lebanon have been displaced from their homes. This equates to at least 19,000 children being forced to flee every single day. To put that scale into perspective, it is as if hundreds of school buses were being filled with children fleeing for their lives and driving away every single day.

In less than a month, approximately 20 percent of Lebanon's population has been forced to flee. The speed and scale are staggering. Currently, over one million people across the country have been displaced, and many have been forced to flee from one location to another two, three, or even four times. This is a sudden, chaotic, and large-scale displacement that is tearing families apart and hollowing out entire communities. The impact will be felt long after the violence subsides.

Children in Lebanon are suffering from immense psychological trauma. Before they could even heal from the trauma of the previous escalation, they have been forced from their homes by violence once again. The cycle of relentless bombing and displacement threatens to exacerbate their trauma, instill deep fear, and cause serious, long-term emotional damage.

I met 11-year-old Zeinab at a shelter in a school building in Beirut; she had fled with her family from southern Beirut. This was the same school building where she had sought refuge 18 months ago. She told me she never imagined she would have to go through this again—spending her days listening to the sounds of shelling and bombing almost every night while sleeping among crowds of people. All she wishes for is to return home, go back to school, and regain a normal life.

Currently, over 135,000 internally displaced persons are sheltering in just over 660 collective sites, many of whom are children. Living conditions are becoming increasingly dire. Many families are sheltering in overcrowded and unsafe locations that are not formal shelters, such as buildings under construction, public spaces, and vehicles. Due to the economic crisis and infrastructure decay, Lebanon was already struggling to meet basic needs, and now the infrastructure is unable to cope with the demand.

Essential social services that support children's survival and future are being severely hit. In regions like the Bekaa and Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, bombing has destroyed critical water reservoirs and pumping stations, leaving tens of thousands without access to safe water. Furthermore, because schools are being used as shelters, the education of over 115,000 students across approximately 435 public schools has been abruptly interrupted.

The human toll of this escalating conflict is shocking. At least 121 children have lost their lives, and 395 have been injured so far. Those who survive the bombing face extremely harsh humanitarian conditions. Many families fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs and have been forced to move multiple times in a matter of days following successive evacuation orders.

At the same time, civilian infrastructure essential for children's daily lives—including hospitals, schools, bridges, and water and sanitation facilities—has been repeatedly attacked, damaged, or destroyed.

UNICEF is working on the ground, in coordination with partners and relevant authorities, day and night to support displaced children, those in shelters, and those in hard-to-reach areas. In the last few weeks alone, we have delivered essential supplies (excluding food) and winter kits to over 167,000 displaced people through our rapid response mechanism.

We have also delivered over 140 tons of essential medical supplies to hospitals and have made 40 primary healthcare centers operational to ensure children and families in shelters can receive care. We are providing emergency water and sanitation support to approximately 190 shelter facilities and are working with the Ministry of Education to support the development of online learning environments and plans for temporary learning spaces, striving to protect the children's future.

However, humanitarian aid alone cannot solve this crisis. Emergency response capacity has been severely compromised as paramedics and health workers have come under repeated attack. Due to security concerns and a lack of transportation, many families remain isolated in hard-to-reach areas.

Children are paying the highest price in this conflict. We strongly call for unhindered humanitarian access to all those in need. We call for an immediate end to attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and water systems. Above all, the 370,000 displaced children need an immediate ceasefire. Children need to end the days of constant fleeing and reclaim the childhood they deserve.

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About UNICEF UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) is a UN agency working to promote the rights and healthy development of all children. Currently, in approximately 190 countries and territories*, we work with many partners to translate our principles into concrete action in various ways. We focus particularly on supporting the most vulnerable children, working for every child, everywhere in the world. UNICEF's activities are funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments. https://www.unicef.org *Includes 32 countries and territories where UNICEF National Committees operate.

About the Japan Committee for UNICEF The Japan Committee for UNICEF is one of the 32 UNICEF National Committees in industrialized countries and regions. As the only private organization representing UNICEF in Japan, it is responsible for public relations, fundraising, and advocacy for UNICEF's activities within Japan. https://www.unicef.or.jp