The United Nations in Lebanon issued an urgent appeal on Friday for an additional $331.5 million to assist 1.4 million people in crisis, three months after deadly violence erupted between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces, according to a press release by UN News. UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon Imran Riza voiced the appeal from Beirut, warning that humanitarian needs continue to soar with each passing day. The funding call comes amid reports that violence persists despite a ceasefire announcement on Wednesday. With hospitals, schools, and infrastructure devastated, the UN warned that the conflict has left entire communities in ruin. The appeal underscores the worsening conditions for displaced families across the country.
Since the latest escalation, more than 3,500 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured, while nearly one million remain displaced from their homes. Mr. Riza described airstrikes, drone attacks, and shelling that have struck hospitals, clinics, government buildings, agricultural land, water stations, and schools. He noted that many schools have been turned into displacement sites. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported that affected people are rapidly exhausting their coping capacities. Essential services across Lebanon remain under increasing strain.
“Humanitarian needs are soaring with each day of the conflict; our work is unfortunately far from over…we need the funding,” Mr. Riza said.
He emphasized that health workers and first responders are facing death and injury on a horrific scale, while entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. He also cited the deep and lasting trauma of repeated displacement, inadequate shelter, and uncertainty about returning home. Aid delivery remains extremely complicated under current conditions. Mr. Riza called for an urgent scale-up in support for the most vulnerable.
Mass displacement has heightened risks for women and girls across Lebanon, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Andrew Saberton warned, speaking from Cairo via video to journalists in Geneva. He said overcrowded shelters lack privacy, adequate sanitation, and basic protection measures. More than 600,000 women and girls are estimated to be at risk of gender-based violence, while approximately 1,800 women are expected to give birth every month. Healthcare facilities continue to come under attack, with hospitals and primary healthcare centers forced to close. Mr. Saberton described one UNFPA-supported facility in south Lebanon that was severely damaged by airstrikes after being rebuilt in 2025.
Mr. Riza warned of a protracted displacement crisis unfolding across southern Lebanon, where an estimated 28,000 people remain beyond Israel’s self-declared military line. He recalled that in 2024, after conflict between Hezbollah fighters and Israel, some 68,000 people “could not go back to their villages after the cessation of hostilities,” mainly due to destruction. He estimated the current figure could reach at minimum around 200,000, and probably more. Friday’s emergency appeal brings the overall UN and partner request for Lebanon through August this year to $639.9 million. The appeal underscores the scale of the humanitarian response still required.
