What's happening in Lebanon?

Last updated 17 March 2026

• Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon have killed hundreds of people and injured thousands. Families are fleeing their homes with little or no warning.
• Over one million people are now displaced across the country. Many are staying with host families or sheltering in public spaces after fleeing the violence.
• Hundreds of thousands of people are currently staying in collective shelters, many of which are overcrowded and struggling to meet basic needs. The real number of displaced people is likely higher, as many families are not captured in official reporting systems.
• As the number of people displaced rises, humanitarian needs are growing rapidly. Many families do not have access to clean water, sanitation, healthcare and protection services, with women, children, older people and people with disabilities most at risk.

Donate today to help people access the essentials they need including: safe drinking water, hygiene kits, menstrual products and bedding.

The recent violence in Lebanon is linked to a wider escalation of conflict across the Middle East involving Israel, Iran and armed groups in the region.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have grown sharply following airstrikes and military attacks between the two countries and their allies. These developments have increased the risk of a broader regional conflict involving multiple countries.

In Lebanon, the armed group and political party Hezbollah – which is backed by Iran – has exchanged cross-border attacks with Israel. Hezbollah has launched rockets into Israel, while Israel has carried out airstrikes and military operations inside Lebanon.

These attacks have had devastating consequences for civilians. Israeli airstrikes have hit towns and villages across Lebanon, forcing large numbers of families to flee their homes and creating a rapidly growing humanitarian crisis.

As violence escalates, there are growing concerns that the conflict could spread further across the region, putting millions of people at risk.

Humanitarian organisations are calling for an immediate de-escalation and respect for international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

Lebanon has faced crisis after crisis in recent years: a refugee crisis from the war in Syria, COVID-19, the Beirut Blast in 2020, a cholera outbreak in 2022, violent conflicts and an ongoing economic crisis which has resulted in skyrocketing poverty and the collapse of essential public services.

Families are living in constant fear, struggling to access basic necessities and trying to protect their children while violence continues around them.

Humanitarian needs are rising every day as communities cope with displacement, trauma and deep uncertainty.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes following evacuation orders and heavy Israeli airstrikes. Many families are now sheltering in temporary spaces in Tripoli, Beirut, Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon.

Oxfam and our partners are providing clean water, hygiene kits, menstrual products and bedding to displaced families. But as more people are forced to flee, humanitarian needs are growing by the hour.

We are preparing to scale up our response and reach more communities affected by the crisis.

Your donation today can help provide clean water, essential supplies and emergency support to families forced to flee their homes.

Oxfam colleagues and partners in Lebanon are supporting people forced to flee their homes and sharing first-hand updates about the reality families are facing.

Stay up to date with Oxfam's responses to the latest escalations in Lebanon.

This latest wave of violence shows that International Humanitarian Law has become negotiable.

As the region stands at a perilous moment, Oxfam urgently calls on all parties to the conflict to immediately end the violence. The extent of the impact of this crisis will not be contained only to the region.

International leaders and the global community must mobilise every effort to prevent the destruction of lives and livelihoods of millions across the region and beyond.