World Vision Lebanon raises concern over renewed hostilities that have displaced more than 55,000 people. The organisation calls for civilian protection as children face heightened risks.

Nokuthula S. Khumalo, Technical Director Global Humanitarian Surge, highlights that in prolonged crises like Syria, it is not organisational charts that protect children, but trust. As humanitarian systems shift under funding pressure and political change, Thula reflects on how internal instability shows up in delayed care, weakened safeguarding, and broken continuity for children. Opening offices is quick; earning staff confidence after years of uncertainty is not. Thula emphasises that listening, presence and honest communication matter more than procedural fixes when certainty is impossible. Fourteen years into the Syria crisis, if children are to experience continuity, safety, and care during humanitarian transitions, then staff stability and trust must be funded as deliberately as security, supply chains or monitoring systems. Trusted frontline teams are the backbone of safe, child-focused action.

In southern Mozambique, emergency water systems restored by World Vision and UNICEF are providing safe water to over 22,000 people, protecting health and dignity.

World Vision accelerates safe water access in Chadakori and Sae Saboua. With coverage reaching 93%, we are on track for 100% universal water access by 2027.

World Vision is implementing the Unlock Literacy Model, which aims to empower schools, parents, and communities to support children’s literacy development and to promote strong literacy habits among early grade learners both inside and outside the classroom.

Fatim, a mother of six, fled armed violence in Torou and now rebuilds her life in Koro. She supports her family by pounding millet, doing laundry, and selling gravel, while her husband receives medical care and her eldest son works in artisanal gold mining.

In Mabalane, Mozambique, improved access to safe water is transforming lives, reducing long walks, restoring dignity, and creating new opportunities for families.

The current escalation follows prolonged instability and military activity despite the 27 November 2024 cessation of hostilities. Since the ceasefire came into effect, more than 10,000 air and ground violations have been recorded, resulting in at least 335 people killed and 973 injured as of 5 January 2026. Reported incidents have included airspace incursions, cross-border fire, and military activity in Baalbek, Hermel, and southern areas, alongside the continued presence of foreign military forces in five border villages. Prior to the renewed escalation in March 2026, an estimated 62,000 to 90,000 people remained internally displaced from earlier conflicts, underscoring the protracted nature of the crisis and the heightened humanitarian vulnerability across affected regions. Over the weekend, regional tensions escalated following developments involving the United States and Iran, with hostilities expanding into the country to the south of Lebanon and Lebanon on 2nd of March. Airstrikes were reported across multiple areas, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, and South Lebanon. According to Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit sources, an estimated more than 81,791 internally displaced persons (IDPs) including 9,000 children, have been recorded thus far, primarily in Beirut & Mount Lebanon (BML), Bekaa, Baalbek, and southern governorates. So far, over 60 people have been reported killed and at least 154 injured, with figures continuing to evolve. Warnings have been issued to evacuate over 200 towns across Lebanon, contributing to significant population movement from border areas and high-risk locations, while shelter data remains fluid due to continued secondary displacement and movement between collective sites.

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), attacks between 2 and 8 March have resulted in 394 people killed and 1,130 injured, with figures Increasing daily. Displacement orders issued in the last days, including renewed orders affecting areas south of the Litani River and the entirety of Beirut’s southern suburbs, have triggered further population movements and repeated displacement for many households. As of 8 March, the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit reports 117,228 displaced individuals residing in 538 collective shelters. The Government of Lebanon has launched a national self-registration platform for internally displaced persons, with over 517,000 people, indicating the potential scale of displacement beyond those recorded in collective shelters. Recent days have seen hostilities expand beyond traditional frontline areas, including blanket evacuation orders affecting Beirut’s southern suburbs, warnings and subsequent strikes targeting branches of the Al-Qard- Al-Hassan Association. Airstrikes have also impacted locations outside the declared warning zones, including a hotel in central Beirut and an earlier strike on a hotel in Hazmieh, both situated outside the primary red-zone areas. These incidents highlight the widening geographic scope of the conflict and the continued risks to civilians and humanitarian operations across areas.