GENEVA, June 5, 2026 (WAFA) – A United Nations humanitarian official said that 1.4 million people in Lebanon need humanitarian assistance urgently, as food security is rapidly deteriorating in the country.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, said during a press briefing held by the United Nations Office in Geneva via video link on Friday, marking the launch of the revised and extended humanitarian Flash Appeal for Lebanon, that the UN and the Government of Lebanon have launched a new appeal to continue mobilizing funding for life-saving relief operations.
He added that the escalation of hostilities over more than three months has resulted in severe violence and acute hardship across Lebanon, with communities facing an appalling toll, including widespread and repeated displacement, destruction of housing and basic service infrastructure, and far-reaching psychological trauma.
He noted that more than 3,500 people have been killed and more than 10,000 have been injured, while nearly one million people remain displaced from their homes.
Riza pointed out that health workers and first responders are facing death and injury on a horrific scale, while entire neighborhoods have been turned to rubble, with families losing their homes and livelihoods.
He said that in communities he visited in recent weeks, he witnessed extensive destruction of infrastructure and essential services, including hospitals and clinics hit by airstrikes, government buildings destroyed, agricultural land scorched, water stations demolished, and schools turned into displacement sites.
He stressed that the psychological trauma of conflict is deeply affecting daily life, stating, “The psychological trauma of conflict cuts deep into the fabric of daily life, with emotional scars that will last longer than the sound of guns and bombs.”
The UN official said that donors have provided about $190 million, enabling the government and humanitarian partners to respond rapidly and assist more than 680,000 people during the first phase of the Flash Appeal.
He added that humanitarian needs are increasing daily, and the UN is now seeking an additional $331.5 million to sustain life-saving assistance for 1.4 million people, bringing the total requirement of the Flash Appeal through August to $639.9 million.
Riza emphasized that support from the international community is not only an act of compassion but also an investment in peace, stability, and humanity.
He said, “ The constant leadership of the response by the Government of Lebanon – the Minister of Social Affairs, as appointed by the Prime Minister, and the inter-ministerial team working out of the Serail, must be commended, adding that, “Our objective is to support Government-led efforts in confronting the severe humanitarian crisis. “
“We must sustain and expand the provision of life-saving aid and protection to displaced families as well as their hosts, with particular attention to risks exacerbated by conflict, such as gender-based violence.”
He called for prioritizing the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, persons with disabilities and the disabled, and ensuring assistance reaches communities in hard-to-access and frontline areas.
Riza further stressed the need to support frontline responders and ensure their protection under international humanitarian law, while also addressing the growing challenge of protracted displacement.
He called for expanded shelter solutions that preserve dignity and allow schools to return to their educational role, as well as increased support for municipalities to restore essential services in strained host communities.
He concluded with four key messages, stressing that escalation must stop, as there is no military solution; calling for full respect for international humanitarian law; and urging urgent humanitarian access and scaled-up, predictable funding for the Flash Appeal, which he said is essential to saving lives.
T.R.
