Statement by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza: Rising civilian toll amid continued hostilities despite ceasefire

Over the past weeks, civilians in Lebanon have continued to endure an increasingly devastating toll from Israeli airstrikes, despite the ceasefire announced on 17 April. 

As diplomatic efforts continue and hope remains that ongoing negotiations will pave the way toward a political solution, the reality on the ground in Lebanon has been deeply alarming.

Airstrikes and demolitions continue daily, with an unacceptable toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

In the past week alone, hostilities have caused civilian casualties among women, men, and children, as well as displaced families, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees and Bangladeshi migrants. 

The violence has also taken an unacceptable toll on those working to save lives, underscoring the continued risks faced by first responders and medical teams operating in extremely dangerous conditions.

The rising casualty figures represent lives lost or irrevocably harmed, families torn apart, and communities forced to experience repeated cycles of fear, displacement, and loss.

International humanitarian law is clear: civilians – including humanitarian workers, medical teams, and first responders – must be protected at all times, and the vital infrastructure civilians rely on must be spared. All parties must facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian passage to civilians in need.

Diplomatic efforts now offer a critical opportunity to stop the violence. The people of Lebanon urgently need security, stability, and the chance to recover, not renewed pain, displacement, and suffering. 

-ends

For more information, please contact the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Lebanon:

Ms. Kristen Knutson, Head of Office - OCHA. E-mail: Knutson@un.org