Lebanon faces deadliest escalation in years as airstrikes drive mass displacement and strain hospitals; with peace talks expected, IRC calls for immediate ceasefire

Beirut, Lebanon, April 10, 2026 - The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that intensified Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon are driving a sharp rise in civilian harm, displacement and humanitarian need, as access to essential services continues to deteriorate. Hours after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US, the intensification of violence in Lebanon threatens to undermine efforts protecting civilians and restoring calm. Constant care must be taken to spare the civilian population from the effects of hostilities.

Since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli evacuation orders and airstrikes have killed more than 1,500 people, injured more than 5,000, and displaced 1.3 million across Lebanon. With peace talks set between the US and Iran over the weekend and in Washington, D.C. next week between the US, Israel, and Lebanon, the IRC calls on all parties to commit to an immediate cessation of hostilities as the only way to avert further civilian harm in Lebanon.

This week, Lebanon endured one of the heaviest days of violence in years, including more than 100 airstrikes in 10 minutes, killing more than 300 hundred people and injuring thousands more. Families are being displaced repeatedly, seeking safety wherever they can, given collective shelters are already largely at capacity. Hospitals now face critical shortages of medical supplies. According to the WHO, three weeks' worth of trauma supplies were used in a single day due to mass casualties, and stocks could run out within days. At the same time, humanitarian organizations, like the IRC, are contending with significant funding cuts, supply chain disruptions, and rising fuel & food costs that hinder the delivery of assistance at the scale required.

Kelby Olson, IRC Deputy Director of Programs in Lebanon, said,

"The Lebanese people cannot be an afterthought. Families are doing everything they can to stay safe, but the scale and intensity of the conflict, especially in recent days, has made daily life increasingly dangerous, if not impossible. People are being forced to flee yet again, while essential services they rely on, including health care, shelter and education are under growing strain.

"We are seeing a significant increase in mental health needs, particularly among children who are struggling to cope with repeated displacement and violence. What families urgently need is an immediate cessation of hostilities to protect civilians and a clear path toward sustained peace and stability. Lebanon must be included in ongoing efforts to reduce violence across the region, and humanitarian support must be urgently scaled, and then sustained, to meet rising needs."

Kelly Razzouk, IRC Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, said

"The talks in Washington next week offer a critical opportunity to bring an end to the immense civilian suffering caused by ongoing conflict. This must be more than dialogue. It must deliver real protection for civilians, full and unimpeded humanitarian access, and a clear path to lasting peace. The stakes are too high for anything less."

At the same time, the continued effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is severely hampering humanitarian efforts in crises around the world. As the IRC has previously warned,the constraint of fuel, fertilizer, liquified natural gas and cooking gas, as well as the shipping lanes that carry medicines and therapeutic foods into crisis zones is a rapidly unfolding food security timebomb. The IRC still has $130,000 worth of pharmaceutical supplies destined for Sudan stuck in Dubai, and 668 boxes of ready-to-use-therapeutic paste stuck in India that could treat 1,000 severely malnourished children in Somalia.

The IRC calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Lebanon to prevent further civilian casualties. Without urgent action to stop the violence, humanitarian needs will surge, pushing already highly vulnerable communities deeper into crisis.

In Lebanon, the IRC is supporting displaced families with essential relief items, as well as psychosocial support and referrals to counselling hotlines for those coping with trauma.