Lebanon: Flash Update #19 - Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon (as of 20 April 2026)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Continued mass displacement and immense humanitarian needs despite the start of a 10-day ceasefire.
• 21 per cent decrease in the number of displaced people in collective shelters recorded overall; 117,420 people remain in 631 sites.
• Return to 74 localities in southern Lebanon restricted by ongoing military presence**.**
• Humanitarian response is ongoing but insufficient; major gaps persist due to funding shortages, access constraints, and rising tensions.
• Rising food prices reported – up 6 per cent compared to February 2026.
• Health systems under extreme strain; six hospitals closed and 15 damaged.

Situation Overview

Lebanon continues to confront a massive humanitarian crisis, despite the entry into effect of a 10-day ceasefire on 17 April, with hundreds of thousands of people remaining internally displaced and in urgent need of assistance. Across southern Lebanon, in Bekaa and in Beirut’s southern suburbs in particular, people have lost family members and friends, homes and livelihoods while also bearing the heavy burden of psychosocial trauma caused by violence, displacement, and a lack of access to basic necessities.

Since the start of the ceasefire, the Israeli Army has reiterated daily warnings against the return of displaced people to areas across southern Lebanon, including some 74 localities and their surrounding areas.

Since the ceasefire announcement, the number of displaced people in collective shelters has reduced by 21 per cent, to 117,421 people staying in 631 collective shelters as of 20 April. The situation remains fluid and continuously changing, with significant variation in the scale of departures from collective shelters in different governorates. In Baalbek-Hermel, the number of people in collective shelters dropped by 85 per cent between 16 and 20 April. In Bekaa, departures from collective shelters have been comparatively more moderate, around 56 per cent. In Nabatieh, Akkar and North governorates, the number of people in collective shelters has remained relatively stable since the ceasefire. Mount Lebanon and South both saw an initial decrease in the number of displaced in collective shelters during the first two days of the ceasefire but have seen gradually increasing figures once again since 19 April. Beirut is the only governorate that has shown an increase in the number of displaced within collective shelters. People displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs are continuously moving between their homes and collective shelters.

Protection needs remain acute, particularly forcommunities remaining in parts of southern Lebanon and in close proximity to military activity. For those returning to heavily conflict-affected areas, protection risks linked to unexploded ordnance (UXO) are of grave concern. Many conflict-affected non‑Lebanese face heightened risks due to lack of documentation and legal residency.

The healthcare sector continues to suffer extreme strain. Hospitals, particularly in southern Lebanon, have been overwhelmed by mass casualties and are struggling with disrupted medical services. Patients are missing essential treatments, while mental health conditions are sharply worsening due to repeated loss and displacement. As of 20 April, six hospitals have been closed due to the escalation of hostilities and 15 damaged, while 51 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCCs) are also closed and seven damaged. According to WHO, 147 attacks on healthcare resulting in 100 deaths and 233 injuries among healthcare workers on duty, have been recorded since 2 March 2026.

The violence has caused widespread damage to infrastructure and basic servicesacross southern Lebanon, including residential buildings, road networks, and other vital services.