UNICEF Says Israel-Hezbollah Escalation Kills 1,222 And Displaces 1.1 Million In Lebanon

Lebanon’s humanitarian situation has deteriorated amid the Israel–Hezbollah escalation, with UNICEF describing a context of “affrontements quasi quotidiens” and reporting that after a ceasefire entered into force on 17 avril, 1 222 personnes ont été tuées and more than 10 000 personnes ont été blessées, including 954 enfants.

“Toggle Play Lebanon Latest: Israel pushes deeper as conflict escalates Read more Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr brings you the latest from southern Lebanon amidst increasing Israeli attacks”

Al Jazeera

UNICEF also said 700 000 enfants are in a situation of détresse psychologique and that 1 100 000 personnes, dont 400 000 enfants, ont été déplacés, while 3 millions de personnes ont besoins de soins de santé and 2,8 millions de personnes ont besoin d’avoir accès à l’eau potables ainsi qu’aux services d’hygiène et d’assainissement.

Al Jazeera

In its response, UNICEF said it has “acheminé plus de 140 tonnes de médicaments essentiels” and supported the mise en place de 145 centres de santé to provide first-need care to près de 35 000 personnes and vacciner plus de 18 000 enfants.

UNICEF further reported that it has provided vital care to 184 nouveau-nés et enfants admis en soins intensifs and 19 enfants grièvement blessés, while enabling displaced people to access potable water and hygiene services through 289 abris.

The agency said it has also repaired water and sanitation networks and “acheminé 365 000 litres de carburant” to guarantee continued access for 2,8 millions de personnes, alongside prepositioning 262 900 paquets de biscuits à haute teneur énergétique and 205 107 pots d’aliments thérapeutiques for more than 30 000 children, women enceintes et allaitantes.

On April 14, the U.S. Department of State said Israel and Lebanon agreed to launch direct negotiations at a time and place to be mutually agreed, with the American statement issued after trilateral talks in Washington lasting about two hours.

The BBC reported that the meeting was attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and officials from both sides, and it said the U.S. State Department explained the contact was the first direct, high-level contact between the two governments since 1993.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Lebanon stressed the need for Israel to adhere to the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024, while Israel reaffirmed its commitment to engage in negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a lasting peace, and the BBC said Washington reiterated its support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Na'im Qassem rejected the talks, calling for them to be canceled and arguing they are futile while Israeli military operations continue, and the BBC said he stressed the need for Lebanese consensus before entering any direct talks with Israel.

The BBC also described the on-the-ground escalation, noting that Israeli airstrikes continued across wide areas of southern Lebanon while Hezbollah said it was carrying out repeated attacks on Israeli military targets, including sites around the town of Bint Jbeil, as Lebanon faced a severe humanitarian crisis with more than 2,000 killed and over one million displaced since the latest clashes.

As the conflict continues, Vert Le média framed water as a resource at the heart of the war, describing Lebanon as having “plus de trente rivers” and three main rivers including the Litani, which is 170 kilometers long and runs through the south of the country.

“Do direct talks between Israel and Lebanon end their conflict”

BBC

Vert Le média quoted Charlotte Touzot-Fadel explaining that Israel occupied the south up to the Litani and was seeking to control it again, ordering its evacuation, while also describing how the Israeli army bombed several bridges in the south and targeted hydraulic infrastructure.

Wassim Daher, director general of the South Lebanon Water Establishment, told Vert Le média that “tout a été détruit: wells, pumping stations, reservoirs, and water networks,” and the article said that all hydraulic infrastructures south of the Litani have been targeted even during the fragile ceasefire that came into effect on November 27, 2024.

Vert Le média reported that a 2025 report by Action Against Hunger and Insecurity Insight indicates that at least 150,000 people remain without running water in southern Lebanon, and it said attacks caused lasting disruptions, a costly reliance on water trucked in, and losses estimated at more than $171 million (€147 million) for water, wastewater, and irrigation.

The article also said an airstrike on November 18 in Tyre left 72,000 people without water, citing Human Rights Watch, and it added that “Sixteen employees of the South Lebanon Water Establishment have been killed” in recent months.