Men stand in the back of a pickup truck as they evacuate the coastal city of Sour in southern Lebanon on March 18, 2026. (Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFP)
BEIRUT — Several U.N. agencies and international organizations warned Friday that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is rapidly deteriorating as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues after erupting on March 2.
A representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned during a visit to the Baabda Presidential Palace against “frequent displacements” caused by Israeli attacks and threats.
UNICEF estimates that Israeli strikes and evacuation calls have displaced about 20 percent of Lebanon’s population. At the same time, Israeli strikes on bridges over the Litani River in southern Lebanon have isolated about 150,000 people from the rest of the country, according to the UNHCR.
“Frequent population displacements in the South and the southern suburbs of Beirut, in an environment of constant fear and pressure, cannot become the norm,” said Nicolas Von Arx, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East, after meeting President Joseph Aoun.
“The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is deteriorating rapidly, and civilians are paying the highest price. It is imperative to protect civilians and ensure their safe return after the cessation of hostilities,” he added.
Von Arx said the ICRC continues to operate “in the South, especially in Tibnin and Marjayoun, despite concerns about disruptions to aid and health services.” He said the organization is providing water to more than 800,000 people, emergency assistance to about 10,000 and support to hospitals.
He also praised “the work of the Lebanese Red Cross and the courage of its volunteers, who are saving lives.”
Israeli attacks have killed 42 paramedics since March 2, including at least one from the Lebanese Red Cross.
‘No safe place, even in Beirut’
“There is no safe place for people to go, even here in Beirut,” said UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi, during a briefing. He said about 20 percent of the population — including more than 370,000 children — has been displaced.
He added that Israeli strikes have killed 121 children and wounded 399.
Corsi called for “urgent humanitarian access for everyone in need,” noting that response efforts have already provided more than 167,000 displaced people with essential non-food items and winter kits. A U.N. Women official said the war has forced about a quarter of women and girls in Lebanon to flee their homes.
Lebanese authorities say the war has displaced more than one million people out of a population of nearly six million. Israeli attacks have killed 1,116 people and wounded more than 3,000 since March 2.
A UNHCR official said Israeli strikes on bridges over the Litani River in recent weeks have left about 150,000 people isolated in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army claimed it targeted the bridges to block the transfer of weapons and the movement of Hezbollah reinforcements — a strategy that has also cut off parts of the South during its ground offensive.
The World Health Organization said disruptions to air and sea transport at its logistics hub in Dubai forced it to send its first humanitarian convoy to Lebanon by land.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the Lebanese Red Cross is distributing blankets, mattresses, meals, bread and safe drinking water to affected households. IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa said the group remains the main provider of ambulance services and has activated an emergency blood transfusion plan to maintain hospital supplies.
“Between March 2 and March 23, Lebanese Red Cross teams carried out 2,754 ambulance missions and 11 urban search-and-rescue operations,” he said, adding that one volunteer was killed and several others were wounded during ambulance missions.
