CONVENTION DE L’UNION AFRICAINE SUR LA FIN DES VIOLENCES FAITES AUX FEMMES ET AUX FILLES VERSION ADAPTÉE AUX ENFANTS

Lebanon has now entered its fifth week of escalation since 2 March 2026, marking one month of sustained hostilities, continued regional spillover, and no clear trajectory towards de-escalation. Strikes are increasingly affecting areas previously considered relatively safe, signalling an expanding conflict footprint and heightened risks for civilians. Incidents affecting media personnel, including the killing of three journalists, further underscore growing protection concerns. In the south, damage to critical transport routes has effectively isolated an estimated 150,000 people, with reports indicating worsening shortages of essential goods, including medication. In areas such as Rmeish, where residents have largely remained, the withdrawal of the Lebanese Armed Forces has further diminished the security presence, increasing protection risks for civilians. The operating environment for humanitarian actors continues to deteriorate. Access remains constrained due to insecurity, infrastructure damage, and movement restrictions, particularly in South Lebanon, Baalbek–Hermel, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Attacks affecting healthcare are raising serious protection concerns, with at least 64 reported incidents impacting health facilities, personnel, and emergency services, resulting in at least 51 deaths and forcing the closure or reduced functionality of key facilities. These dynamics are significantly limiting access to life-saving care and undermining the reach, predictability, and effectiveness of the humanitarian response. During his visit to Lebanon this week, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, called for expanded humanitarian access and reiterated the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with International Humanitarian Law. Discussions with national authorities and partners highlighted severe access constraints, mounting pressure on responders, and the need for sustained international engagement.

Since the escalation of hostilities on 2 March, the situation in Lebanon has entered its fourth week, with no indication of de-escalation and continued spillover from the broader regional conflict. While diplomatic efforts by the Government of Lebanon are ongoing, reports suggest that even in the event of a broader regional agreement, hostilities in Lebanon are likely to persist. In recent days, hostilities have further expanded in scope and impact. Inaugurally, a missile was intercepted over the Keserwan area, with debris reported across parts of Mount Lebanon, underscoring the spread of the conflict into previously unaffected areas. At the same time, targeted strikes on non-state actors within civilian residential buildings continue, causing civilian casualties and damage to surrounding infrastructure. Attacks on critical infrastructure have intensified, with at least seven bridges and multiple crossings destroyed across the Litani River, effectively isolating parts of southern Lebanon and cutting off over 150,000 people, severely constraining civilian movement and humanitarian access. Meanwhile, the humanitarian and economic situation continues to deteriorate. Displacement remains high and shelter capacity overstretched, with many families unable to access formal shelters and resorting to informal or unsafe living arrangements. Rising fuel and commodity prices, driven by disruptions in regional supply routes, are further increasing the cost of living and compounding vulnerabilities among affected populations. The prolonged escalation is also contributing to growing social tensions and localised instability, as pressure on resources intensifies and political polarisation deepens, raising concerns over potential civil unrest and localised sectarian tensions.

World Vision Eswatini and the Municipal Council of Mbabane today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), formalising a strategic partnership aimed at improving the wellbeing of vulnerable children, families, and youth living in the City of Mbabane.

The escalation of hostilities in Lebanon has now entered day 15, while regional tensions linked to the wider conflict continued for 17 days, with no immediate indication of de-escalation. Evacuation orders continue to expand across South Lebanon, Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, with warnings issued by the country to the south instructing residents to evacuate and indicating that return will not be permitted until further notice. Reports state that entire families who chose to remain in their homes in some affected areas have been killed during strikes, highlighting the severe protection risks facing civilians. In recent days, strikes have increasingly targeted critical infrastructure and transport routes, including two key bridges connecting major towns in South Lebanon, further disrupting civilian movement and humanitarian access. Trucks transporting goods are reportedly warned not to move along the southern coastal road, further constraining assistance delivery. Airstrikes also impacted central Beirut and residential areas in Mount Lebanon, reflecting the continued expansion of hostilities beyond traditional frontline zones. Meanwhile, displacement continues to rise, and shelter capacity remains under severe strain. With collective shelters overcrowded or at full capacity, many displaced families have been forced to seek alternative arrangements, including unfinished buildings, informal shelters, and makeshift tents along the coastal Corniche from Saida to Beirut. Recent heavy rainstorms and falling temperatures have further worsened conditions, destroying displacement tents and flooding temporary sites, leaving displaced households exposed to harsh weather and heightened risks. The prolonged escalation is also contributing to pockets of civil unrest, as well as heightened social tensions in several areas, with growing fears among communities that prolonged displacement and political polarization could increase the risk of localized sectarian tensions.

Over 100 airstrikes across Lebanon have intensified a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than one million people and putting children at severe risk, warns World Vision.

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World Vision urgently calls on all parties to immediately de-escalate hostilities in the Middle East and work towards a lasting peaceful resolution.