The U.N. has launched a $325 million flash appeal to aid Lebanon after intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah displaced more than 800,000 people and killed nearly 700. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged donors to translate solidarity into action as aid groups report severe funding shortfalls and rationing. The World Food Programme and UNHCR warn that emergency assistance and cash support have already been cut and could run out within weeks without rapid new funding.
UN Launches $325M Flash Appeal for Lebanon as War Displaces Over 800,000
People gather after an evacuation order, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in central Beirut, Lebanon, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
The United Nations on Friday launched a $325 million flash appeal to support Lebanon as the country reels from heavy fighting that has forced more than one-seventh of its population from their homes.
"Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said while announcing the campaign from Beirut.
The latest escalation began after Hezbollah opened fire on Israel on March 2. Israel responded with a wide-ranging offensive that has included air strikes, expanded ground operations and bombardments of population centres, including the capital.
Authorities say nearly 700 people have been killed and more than 800,000 displaced after Israeli orders for residents to evacuate ever-larger areas of the country.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 13, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Humanitarian Needs and Funding Gaps
Aid organisations warn that existing budget shortfalls are already forcing them to ration supplies. The World Food Programme says it is targeting those most at risk of starvation as resources run thin.
"We're only targeting those who are really on the verge of starvation or in starvation," said Carl Skau, the WFP's deputy executive director.
"There isn't any more margin, so with needs going up, resources will have to come up - and they can certainly not drop," Skau told Reuters.
Humanitarian groups say Lebanon's needs are compounded by an already strained context: the 2019 economic collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion and last year's conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) warned last September that it had received just 25% of the funds required for Lebanon for 2025, forcing cuts to cash assistance programmes for vulnerable families.
"The current escalation of hostilities compounds an already tight funding landscape," said Kirollos Fares, Lebanon country director at humanitarian organisation Medair.
Aid group Solidarités International also reported reductions in both the number and size of grants. Its Lebanon country director, Daniele Regazzi, warned that current emergency stocks could be exhausted within weeks without fresh contributions.
"Unless fresh money comes out, what we are deploying now as emergency response... will be gone in the next roughly couple of weeks," Regazzi said.
The U.N. appeal seeks immediate contributions to scale up food, shelter, health and protection assistance for the newly displaced and other vulnerable communities across Lebanon.
Help us improve.
