March 10, 2026 | 10:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israeli air strikes in Lebanon have forced nearly 700,000 people, including 200,000 children, to flee, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said. At least 83 children have been killed, and 254 others injured in the escalating conflict since March 2.
"In the last 28 months, 329 children have reportedly been killed in Lebanon and 1,632 were injured. In just the last six days, the number of children killed has increased by 25 percent, with a devastating figure of 412 children killed," the statement said.
Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR representative in Lebanon, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, that the crisis has rapidly displaced families after intensive air strikes and evacuation warnings issued on March 2 for residents in more than 53 densely populated villages and areas.
"Lives have been upended on a massive scale," she said, as reported by Anadolu.
According to Lebanese authorities, over 667,000 people have registered on the government's online displacement platform, an increase of over 100,000 in a single day, with the numbers continuing to rise.
Approximately 120,000 displaced residents are currently sheltered in government-designated collective sites, said Billing, while many others are staying with relatives or seeking accommodation after leaving their homes with few belongings.
The violence has also triggered cross-border movements into neighboring Syria. Syrian authorities reported that over 78,000 Syrians and over 7,700 Lebanese have entered Syria since the escalation began, she said.
Billing stated that many families have experienced repeated displacement following previous hostilities in 2024, leaving civilians traumatized and fearful.
UNHCR, she said, has delivered about 168,000 emergency relief items to over 63,000 displaced people in more than 270 accommodation sites, but warned that their response in Lebanon is only 14 percent funded.
"Every day this conflict continues, more suffering is inflicted on hundreds of thousands of civilians, while Lebanon and the region are further destabilized," she cautioned.
"Civilians must be protected at all times, and safe, unhindered humanitarian access must be guaranteed so aid can reach those who need it most," she concluded.
On March 2, a series of rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility for the attack. This was in support of Hezbollah's retaliation for Israel's attacks on Iran since February 28, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family.
In response, the Israeli military then launched large-scale attacks on populated areas across Lebanon, including the capital. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people began to leave their homes to seek refuge in safer areas in Lebanon.
Read: Israeli Strikes Kill 31 in Lebanon as Conflict Broadens in Middle East
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