UNRWA Situation Report #8 on the Lebanon Emergency Response 2026 (23 April 2026)

UNRWA

29 Apr 2026

All information valid for 15 April – 21 April 2026

Key Points

• A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight on 16 April, following the first direct talks between the two sides in over 30 years on 14 April. While negotiations are ongoing between the parties towards a lasting peace agreement, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile.
• UNRWA launched its emergency response in Lebanon on 4 March. As of 21 April, it operates two emergency shelters[1]: Siblin Training Centre (STC) in Saida Area and Battir School in Nahr el-Bared Camp in northern Lebanon.
• By 21 April, a total of 1,337 displaced people (401 families) were registered in the two UNRWA emergency shelters, reflecting a substantial decrease compared to the previous week’s 1,741 people. This is mainly due to the 16 April ceasefire and subsequent population returns.
• On 13 March, UNRWA launched an appeal for US $12.3 million to support up to 10,000 people in the Agency’s two emergency shelters and 63,000 vulnerable Palestine Refugees outside its shelters.
• Between 15 and 21 April, no security incidents affecting on-duty UNRWA personnel or facilities were reported.

Overall Situation

• By 20 April, the Ministry of Social Affairs had documented the displacement of over 1,1 million individuals[2], including 117,421 people in 631 shelters[3].
• More than 250,000 people have crossed into Syria since 2 March, including over 1,200 Palestine Refugees from Syria who had fled to Lebanon in the past[4].
• Despite cautious optimism after the announcement of the 10-day ceasefire, access to areas south of the Litani River, including 55 villages, remains restricted due to expanded activity by Israeli forces inside southern Lebanon. Damaged infrastructure, unexploded ordnance, and limited basic services are causing severe humanitarian challenges, with authorities urging caution regarding return movements.
• Voluntary returns following the ceasefire announcement were limited and uneven, with about 26 per cent of displaced people leaving shelters in the first 48 hours[5], often only temporarily to check homes or collect belongings before returning to the shelters.
• Despite the ceasefire, instability persists. On 18 April, a UN peacekeeper was killed and three others injured when a UNIFIL patrol came under fire in southern Lebanon. The UN Secretary-General condemned the attack, indicating that Hezbollah was presumed responsible. One of the injured peacekeepers subsequently died.