The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday that it remains gravely concerned about the impact of ongoing military activities in Lebanon on civilians. These concerns include the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs late Thursday, just before the start of the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha. Additional strikes were recorded in the southern village of Ain Qana that same night.
According to OCHA, this marks the fourth strike on the capital Beirut since the cessation of hostilities agreement took effect in November 2024. Thousands of residents from the densely populated Beirut neighborhoods targeted in Thursday's Israeli airstrikes fled their homes in panic following displacement orders.
In September 2024, Israel escalated hostilities in Lebanon into a war, carrying out thousands of airstrikes across Lebanese territory. For nine weeks, Lebanon experienced its deadliest conflict since the end of its civil war in 1990. The country is still grappling with a severe crisis following the conflict escalation that killed over 4,000 people, injured over 17,000, and affected more than 1.4 million.
The conflict also caused large-scale displacement and widespread infrastructure damage throughout the country. According to the World Bank, nearly 100,000 housing units in conflict-affected areas have been completely destroyed or partially damaged.
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on November 27, 2024, bringing an end to the most severe hostilities. However, daily violations of the ceasefire agreement are still being reported. Despite the ceasefire, civilians in Lebanon continue to be affected by Israeli military operations, which exacerbates protection concerns and impedes the safe return of displaced people and hinders humanitarian access.
“Along the Blue Line, hostilities have persisted on a near-daily basis, including artillery shelling, demolitions and air strikes, particularly in areas where the Israeli army maintains a military presence and has erected physical barricades and warning signage,” aid UN spokesman Farhan Haq while briefing journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.
“Preliminary official assessments by the Beirut Area Reconstruction Committee indicate extensive damage from the air strikes, including to a school for people with disabilities. Nine residential buildings were completely destroyed, while more than 70 sustained partial damage.”
According to OCHA, some 115 housing units were destroyed, reportedly displacing about 300 families who have been hosted by relatives. Additionally, nearly 180 commercial establishments and more than 870 residential units were affected, as well as approximately 50 vehicles.
The Blue Line, which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights, is the subject of an ongoing border dispute between Israel, Lebanon, and the non-state armed group Hezbollah. Following the war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006, which caused widespread destruction in Lebanon, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1701. The resolution established a buffer zone between the Blue Line in southern Lebanon and the Litani River in Israel.
According to the November ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah troops were to move north of the Litani River, and Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon. However, Israel continues to violate the ceasefire through persistent airstrikes, ground operations, and the de facto occupation of Lebanese territory in at least five areas.
Israel's continued military operations in Lebanon remain a key driver of humanitarian needs, especially in the south. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 82,000 people remain displaced across the country, while over 980,000 have returned to their communities of origin.
At the height of the recent crisis, at least 1.4 million people were affected, including nearly 900,000 who were displaced internally. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 560,000 people crossed from Lebanon into Syria after September 23.
On Monday, OCHA warned that the scale of the damage and the number of people returning or still displaced means that humanitarian needs will continue to unfold alongside critical needs for recovery and reconstruction.
Even before the situation deteriorated in Lebanon in September, the country was in the grip of a protracted humanitarian crisis affecting millions, including vulnerable refugee populations from Syria and Palestine. The escalation in hostilities occurred amid a context of Lebanon's complex political, economic, and financial crisis, characterized by a steady deterioration of social stability and food insecurity.
According to the latest IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis, between April and June 2025, 1.17 million people — 21 percent of the population — in Lebanon will continue to experience high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse). Among them, around 55,000 people are classified in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), while 1.1 million people are classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).
The IPC states that this situation affects Lebanese residents, Syrian refugees, and Palestinian refugees, and is mainly driven by the prolonged impact of conflict, ongoing displacement, and a reduction in humanitarian food security assistance.
In addition, the war has had a devastating impact on health infrastructure: one in ten hospitals has been affected by attacks, and more than 240 health workers have been killed while carrying out their duties (since October 2023), leaving an immense need for health care.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the conflict has severely disrupted health services. There have been more than 160 attacks on health facilities and personnel, resulting in nearly 300 injuries.