Lebanon is facing a "perfect storm of unpredictable challenges" as conflict, mass displacement and dwindling humanitarian resources converge, the UN's Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, has warned.
The current escalation began on 2 March, when outgoing fire by Hezbollah drew a strong retaliation from Israel.
Since then, the intensity of exchanges has increased, with heavier fire from Hezbollah and intensified attacks and some ground incursions from the Israeli side, leading to what Mr. Riza described as "full-blown humanitarian catastrophe".
815,000 uprooted
A staggering 815,000 people have been uprooted by the violence in Lebanon since Israeli forces responded to Hezbollah rocket fire in the early days of the Middle East war, on 2 March, with airstrikes and mass evacuation orders.
The rapid displacement reflects the scale of the crisis and its growing impact on civilians.
"The toll on civilians is huge," he said in an interview with UN News, pointing to the number of children among those killed. Eighty-three children were killed in the first week of the conflict, he said, with children accounting for about 20 per cent of overall fatalities, while women make up roughly 21 per cent.
The numbers underscore what Mr. Riza described as a recurring pattern in modern conflicts, where civilians - and particularly children - are disproportionately affected.
Displacement is also disrupting education across the country. Around 120,000 displaced people are staying in collective shelters, most of them set up in public schools. Classrooms have been turned into temporary living spaces, leaving many children without access to schooling.
"Not only are children getting killed and displaced," the senior official said, "but also children are not having the opportunity to have their right to education."
