The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued a dire warning about Lebanon’s worsening crisis, stating that the situation now exceeds the severity experienced during the 2006 conflict. The warning comes as hostilities have escalated significantly in recent weeks, placing immense strain on Lebanon’s already vulnerable healthcare and humanitarian infrastructure.
Speaking at a press conference in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted the alarming challenges facing Lebanon’s healthcare sector, which has been relentlessly targeted amid ongoing conflict. “The healthcare sector continues to face relentless attacks, with facilities, staff, and resources increasingly caught in the crossfire,” Dujarric stated, emphasizing the sector’s precarious state. Already struggling with limited resources, Lebanon’s health infrastructure is now pushed to the brink as hostilities intensify.
Among recent incidents, Dujarric noted that an Israeli airstrike near Tebnin Governmental Hospital in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon caused severe damage to the hospital, injuring dozens. Another airstrike near Baalbek Governmental Hospital inflicted further damage on critical health infrastructure. These attacks have put lives at risk and severely disrupted essential medical services in regions heavily impacted by the conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) provided additional data on the toll this crisis has taken on healthcare personnel in Lebanon. According to WHO, at least 110 healthcare workers have been killed in the line of duty since October 2023, with over 60 documented attacks on healthcare facilities across Lebanon in the past 13 months. The statistics underscore the heightened risk healthcare workers face and the severe limitations on medical care available to Lebanese citizens and displaced individuals.
The impact of the violence is not limited to civilians and healthcare workers. Facilities belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have also been affected by the ongoing hostilities. The UN spokesperson called on all parties to safeguard UN peacekeeping forces stationed in Lebanon and protect UNIFIL facilities from further harm.
Lebanon has been subject to repeated Israeli attacks since October 2023, but the frequency and intensity of aerial and artillery strikes have reached unprecedented levels since late September 2024. According to OCHA, these escalated attacks have led to thousands of Lebanese casualties and injuries, while more than a million people have been forced to flee their homes, adding to the strain on an already overwhelmed humanitarian response system.
As the crisis deepens, the UN is urgently appealing to all parties involved to exercise restraint and prioritize the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure. Humanitarian organizations warn that without immediate international assistance and a cessation of hostilities, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon could deteriorate even further, creating a severe crisis for the region.
