According to a report published by Le Monde, intensified Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut have triggered a major humanitarian crisis, with more than 830,000 people displaced since the escalation of hostilities on 2 March 2026.
In Beirut, the parking area of the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium has been transformed into an emergency shelter site, where hundreds of displaced families live in tents set up under the stadium stands. The Lebanese Red Cross has also installed a mobile clinic to provide medical care to people who fled the bombardments without their medicines or personal belongings.
Among them is Nour, a 22-year-old student from Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been under Israeli evacuation orders since 5 March. She explained that although assistance is available, including mattresses and Ramadan iftar meals, the constant fear of airstrikes persists.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 770 people have been killed since the escalation began, including over 100 children, a toll described as “appalling” by UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac. In response to the scale of the crisis, United Nations agencies launched a $308 million humanitarian appeal in Beirut to support emergency assistance over the next three months.
Amel Association International Supporting Displaced Children
The article also highlights the efforts of Amel Association International, which is assisting displaced populations, particularly children.
At Omar Al-Farouk School in Beirut’s Tariq El-Jdideh neighborhood, where more than 160 displaced families are sheltering inside classrooms or in tents in the school courtyard, Amel Association International organizes recreational activities for displaced children in cooperation with UNICEF.
The report notes that children gather in the courtyard drawing or playing on ground sheets, offering them brief moments of relief amid the ongoing conflict.
Marie-Reine Bou Saab, coordinator at Amel Association International, stressed the continuing humanitarian needs:
“Solidarity remains strong, but the issue of meals is a real problem. There are initiatives by individuals and NGOs, but food provision is still not guaranteed in a stable manner.”
A Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
According to the United Nations, only about 130,000 displaced people are currently accommodated in the 600 collective shelters opened by the Lebanese government, most of them schools. Many other displaced families are staying with relatives or renting apartments whose prices have sharply increased, while others sleep in cars, temporary tents, or along Beirut’s seafront.
As bombardments and destruction continue, the report notes that humanitarian organizations, including Amel Association International, play a crucial role in supporting affected communities, particularly children who remain among the most vulnerable victims of the conflict.
Source: Le Monde
Author: Laure Stephan, Beirut Correspondent
Publication Date: 14 March 2026, 15:30
Link: https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/03/14/au-liban-l-urgence-humanitaire-sous-les-bombes_6671210_3210.html
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